Not every piece of hardware that comes into the Des Moines metro’s Dee Zee Inc. goes back out in the form of car and truck accessories.
Some go into the trophy case.
Dee Zee, a maker of auto and truck accessories, recently brought home the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s Manufacturer of the Year Award. SEMA boasts a membership of more than 7,000 businesses and organizations.
Earlier this fall, Dee Zee also took home a 2023 Economic Impact Award from the Greater Des Moines Partnership that honored it for significant contributions to the economic vitality of the region through capital investment, job creation and facility expansion.
The SEMA award recognized Dee Zee for its business practices, workforce excellence, employee well-being, protection of brand equity, quality of retail displays and packaging and innovation, said Scott Moyer, director of marketing for Dee Zee.
In addition to manufacturing many after-market truck and car accessories. Dee Zee also makes accessories to original equipment manufacturer specifications for 17 automakers including Ford, Stellantis (formerly Chrysler), General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota, Moyer said.
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“There is a 99% chance you see a Dee Zee product in your daily commute without knowing it was made right here in central Iowa. It may just be logoed with an automotive brand,” Moyer said.
Moyer said the Greater Des Moines Partnership Award recognized Dee Zee’s $15 million expansion in Pleasant Hill, where the company will be manufacturing body structures for GM ‘s BrightDrop Zevo electric vans that will begin joining delivery fleets at FedEx and Walmart starting in 2024. The expansion will add an additional 100 skilled jobs throughout 2024 and 2025.
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Overall, Dee Zee has sales of more than $350 million a year globally. The company operates out of eight buildings scattered across the north and east metro housing over 1 million square feet for manufacturing, packaging, warehousing and shipping, with its main plant on Northeast 58th Avenue in Saylor Township. The company has about 1,100 employees and has been in the truck accessory market since 1977.
Dee Zee’s product lines include side steps, tool boxes, transfer tanks, cab racks, roof rails, truck bed accessories and other products. Some of the products are manufactured for other labels such as Tractor Supply but built in Des Moines, Moyer said.
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