- AcquisitionOpportunity-

Hercules Engine - Putting Power to Work since 1915

 

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

 Empire Business Associates, a Northeast Ohio merger and acquisition firm, represents the owners of Hercules Engine Components, who are offering for acquisition the rights/ownership to build new Hercules Engines. The Hercules engine was last built in 1999. Backed by a reputation for quality, Hercules engines are designed to work hard and long consistently matching your power needs.

The assets for sale represent a turn-key approach for a new market entrant, an existing engine manufacturer to acquire technology or an equipment manufacturer looking to vertically integrate its product line and:

• enter the mid-range, industrial engine manufacturing realm with a highly recognized, “work horse”, industrial engine niche and brand name
• fill a mid-range industrial engine manufacturing gap inside an existing capability
• enhance and compliment an existing, industrial engine product line manufacturing capability with a highly recognized, “work horse” niche and brand name.

 The owners of Hercules Engine Components are offering for sale the following:

• the manufacturing technology
• drawings
• tooling
• intellectual property including manufacturing consulting and engineering assistance
• brand name and marketing
• available inventory

When there’s work to be done, Hercules equips you with the right engine.  When you specify a Hercules engine, you get years of manufacturing experience and highly evolved engine design.  Hercules offers a complete series of 4 and 6 cylinder, in-line basic engines.  And they can modify them, too- different fuels, design or colors- to best meet your specific application.

Backed by a reputation for quality, Hercules engines are designed to work hard and long consistently matching your power needs.

So whether you ordered 5,000 engines or a single unit, Hercules Engines provides the quality, flexibility and personal service to get the job done with outstanding:

• Versatility
  • Variety of optional accessories for customizing to match many applications
• Long Service Life
  • Heavy duty cylinder block, head, bearings and crank extended service life
  • Tri-metal bearings to support combustion loads
  • Forged high-strength crankshaft
• Serviceability
  • Service components arranged for convenient access
  • Nationwide distribution network provides field service support

 Hercules Commercial Engines represent your solution to industrial power applications.  Whether you’re looking to buy new or remanufactured engines or seeking a better solution to repower existing equipment, Hercules strives to offer the best value solution for your business.

 

OVERVIEW OF THE ENGINE / FAMILY TYPES

There are three product lines available for sale.  They can be bought separately or all together.

• 1600 Family- 4 Cylinder Gasoline and LPG Engine
• G1600    2.7 liter   Gasoline and LPG
• This engine was also marketed as the Cat 1404 (painted yellow and used in  Caterpillar lift trucks)
• Later,  the same engine was used in the Daewoo lift trucks.
• Volumes for these customers ranged from 6,000 to 10,000 units per year
• The G1600 engine, if re-introduced, could be the only true, spark ignited, “Industrial Engine” in its size range.

 The Hercules G1600 basic engine is intended for all types of original equipment manufacturers and service replacement applications.  Fan through fly-wheel configuration provides a basic platform for installation in customized envelopes.

 Applications include:

• Lift Trucks
• Generators
• Jeeps
• Air Compressors
• Chippers
• Leaf Vacuums
• Hi Lifts
• Shredders

 

•  G & D Family- 4 and 6 Cylinder Gasoline- Natural Gas- LPG/ Diesel  Turbocharged, Open Type Power Unit
• G2300                   3.7 liter           Gasoline, LPG, CNG
• D2300 (DT3.7)      3.7 liter            Diesel, Turbocharged, Aftercooled
• G3400                   5.6 liter            Gasoline, LPG, CNG
• D3400 (DT5.6)      5.6 liter            Diesel, Turbocharged, Aftercooled

 Applications include:

• Lift Trucks
• Generators
• Air Compressors
• Chippers
• Leaf Vacuums
• Hi Lifts
• Shredders
• Refrigeration
• Sweepers
• Step Vans/ Busses
• Ground Support Equipment
• Pumps

            

• 4800 Family- 6 Cylinder Natural Gas/ Diesel Turbocharged
• G4800                   7.8 liter                Natural Gas
• GTA4800               7.8 liter               Natural Gas (150KW power)
• The Hercules G4800 is a 6 cylinder Natural Gas, “true industrial” engine 
• D4800/D5000        7.8 liter                Diesel
• The Hercules D4800/D5000 is a 6 cylinder Diesel, industrial engine that can be turbocharged and aftercooled.

 Applications include:

• Generators
• Air Compressors
• Chippers
• Leaf Vacuums
• Hi Lifts
• Shredders
• Refrigeration
• Construction Equipment
• Farm Tractors
• Welding Equipment

 For the Hercules family of mid-range industrial engines, the Hercules name is associated with a reputation for versatility and long service life used in a variety of applications:

• General Industrial uses
• Compressors
• Generator sets
• Lift trucks
• Other Materials Handling
• Agricultural/ Forestry
• Oil Gas Production/ Distribution
• Contractors/ Municipalities
• Transportation

 

HISTORY OF COMPANY

Hercules Engine Company was founded in 1915; it was formed to fill the need for a strong, industrial type, heavy duty engine required for the rapidly expanding trucking industry.

During its 85 year history, Hercules became well known for producing high quality, dependable, heavy duty gasoline and diesel engines. Hercules reached its maximum production output from 1941-1945 when the plant manufactured engines for the military virtually 24 hours per day. It supplied nearly 1,000,000 engines to the U.S. military and allied armed forces. These engines were used in jeeps, 2.5 and 5 ton trucks, generator sets and PT boats.

Following the war years, Hercules began transitioning to commercial products. It had a substantial presence in the generator, lift truck and off-highway industrial markets while its major customer remained the U.S. Military.

The company had several ownerships during its long history. Some of the major owners included the Hupp Corporation and the White Motor Corporation (who changed the name to White Engines). In the late 1980's, the U.S. Military made a decision to begin using off-the-shelf type standard engines instead of the customized Hercules Engine. In addition, the military replaced the famous M141 jeep with the modern Humvee vehicle that also used a standard commercial engine.

Within a few years after losing this major segment of its business, the company began experiencing severe financial problems. Several more ownership changes occurred in the mid 1990's and the company fought gallantly to survive but finally ceased operations on April 16, 1999.

Hercules Engine Components LLC was established with the purpose of acquiring specific assets of the defunct Hercules Engine Company in order to support the Hercules customer base with genuine Hercules replacement parts and services.  The company was founded by two former executives of Hercules Engine Company and FinCom Corporation (a group of local investors).

In August, 1999, the newly formed company purchased over eight million dollars of Hercules inventory parts, the trademarks, trade names, intellectual property (blueprints, cad system etc.) and all unencumbered vendor and in-house tooling.

Hercules Engine Components presently operates in a new facility in Massillon, Ohio and has over 30,000 square feet of warehouse and manufacturing space. New state-of-the-art business systems were implemented to assist in providing spare parts for the Hercules engines.  They are controlling over 20,000 active part numbers.  The employee base consists of experienced former Hercules employees.

With a worldwide base of over 50 distributors and 20 major OEM’s, the new company is positioned to support the entire Hercules product line for many years to come.

 

AVAILABLE ASSETS

 Specific assets of the sale include:

• Complete set of detailed blueprints (Approximately 20,000 part numbers)
• Aperture Card File
• Layouts
• All pertinent engineering documentation
• Hercules in-house tooling
• Available Vendor tooling, including casting patterns, dies, fixtures, etc.
• Marketing Information
• Available  inventory
• Manufacturing consulting (Limited TBD)
• Engineering assistance/consultation (Limited TBD)
• Trademarks (OutsideU.S.)
• Trade names (Outside U.S.
• Other Intellectual Property
• Supplier contact information
• SAE reports and papers

   

Details and Spec sheets can be found on the Hercules web site, http://www.herculesengine.com/, giving you detailed specifications matching various applications with photos.

*The military product lines are not included in the sale represented by the M151, D198ER, D298ER and LDT engine lines.