About Stuart Tank Sales Corporation

The Stuart Tank Sales difference: one stop for all your tank needs

Based in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, Stuart Tank Sales provides comprehensive tank and trailer services. That means beyond the wide selection of equipment we offer, we also provide service, parts, and customization support. Our commitment to the needs of our customers has been the driving force in our 60-plus years in the business. Truckers and trucking companies keep our economy humming by safely and reliably hauling the ingredients, materials, and products that people rely on. At Stuart Tank Sales, we not only appreciate how important our customers are—we’ve designed our business to help them perform better.

Our Management Team

Mike O’Donell

President

Mike has been associated with the trucking industry all his life. He grew up in Elkhorn and worked in his father’s trucking business. Upon graduation from Tri-State College, Mike began his career at Stuart Tank Sales in 1975 as a sales representative under the direction of Marv Gramley. In 1986, Mike and Marvin (“Budd”) Humphrey became co-owners of Stuart Tank Sales. By 2004, Mike had become sole owner. Mike and his wife Judy still reside in Elkhorn.

Kirk Russell

Vice President

A graduate of UW-Eau Claire, Kirk began his career in 1987 at Stuart Tank Sales in the parts department. Soon after, he was promoted to parts manager. Kirk played an integral role in expanding the parts department and overseeing the construction of the 10,000-square-foot parts warehouse. In 2004, Kirk became vice president. Since then he has been responsible for overall operations.

Phil Klein

Vice President of Sales/Marketing

A lifelong resident of Illinois and a graduate of Illinois State University, Phil has been in tank and trailer sales for over 33 years. He started with Fruehauf Trailer and continued gaining tank experience with Polar in 1995 and Heil in 1999. In 2006, Phil joined Stuart Tank Sales as vice president of sales/marketing.

Matt O’Donell

Director of Shop Services

A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (BS) and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (MS), Matt worked in the aviation industry as a commercial pilot before he joined Stuart Tank Sales in 2004. Matt has served as a mechanic on the floor and worked in the parts department. He has also been an account manager. Today, as director of shop services, he manages the service side of Stuart Tank Sales. Outside of work, community involvement is an important part of Matt’s life. He has been an active member of the Elkhorn Rotary Club and currently serves as president of the Elkhorn Area School District’s board of education.

Brian O’Donell

Account Manager

Brian began his career at Stuart Tank Sales in 2007 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He has held a variety of positions here and his experience includes working in the service, parts, and sales departments. In his current role as account manager, Brian relies on his diverse background at Stuart Tanks Sales to provide customers an exceptional sales experience. Brian enjoys time outside of work with his wife and three children.

The History of Stuart Tank Sales

Team Stuart Tank Sales was established in 1958 by Marvin Gramley when he and his partner Stuart Johnson split Stuart Johnson & Co. of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, into two separate companies. Stuart Johnson & Co. is still in business, serving the dairy and food-grade business. Stuart Tank Sales and Marv Gramley focused on transportation equipment.

Stuart Tank Sales’ current Elkhorn location was constructed in 1961 with three bays and a small office area. Business expanded rapidly and in 1965 Marvin (“Budd”) Humphrey joined the company as a sales representative, selling mostly farm pick-up tanks and sanitary milk transports. With continued growth, the facility underwent expansion in 1975, adding another three bays and more office space. In 1975, Mike O’Donell joined Stuart Tank Sales as a sales representative and was responsible not only for farm pick-up tanks and sanitary transport but also the new addition of petroleum, chemical, and pneumatic trailers.

The company continued its growth during the late 70s by expanding its parts sales department. By 1981, more bays were added for service work, plus a steam bay. In 1986 Marv Gramley retired and Mike O’Donell and Budd Humphrey became co-owners.

Growth continued through the 1980s and 1990s with added product lines and an accomplished team to back it up. The parts department expanded into a 10,000-square-foot warehouse. The service department expanded to include a bay for mounting, repairing, and rebuilding loading and off-loading components.

In 2004, Mike O’Donell became the sole owner of Stuart Tank Sales. Today, the company consists of 19 bays, more than 30 employees and a product line that also includes dump trailers, flatbeds, and grain trailers.

Our motto—It’s the service after the sale that counts!—will continue to be our foundation for success. As we look to the future, our team will continue to provide the quality and service that creates lasting partnerships with our customers.

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