From the book " The Iron Works - The Grumman Story" Morgan Olson was founded in 1938 on Long Island, New York, by Jimmy Olson, and is currently located in Sturgis, Michigan. Previously owned by Northrop Grumman, followed by a group of senior managers, Morgan Olson was purchased by JBPCO in 2003. The idea for the first aluminum walk-in van was originated by Walter Heingartner, owner of Kinney Motors Chevrolet in Brooklyn, NY. Heingartner was friends with Jimmy Olson, then Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority. Olson had no truck experience, but knowing there were ten independent laundry companies in Brooklyn alone, he saw a market. He knew an aluminum body would be lighter and less prone to corrosion. He also knew someone who could build it, Jack Swirbul, one of Grumman's founders. WWII put a hold on assembly til 1946. After the war, Olson and three partners formulated J.B.E. Olson Corporation on Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Construction of the aluminum vehicle began. For its public unveiling, Olson rented the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City and invited Chevrolet dealers from all over the east coast. The vehicle was enthusiastically received and J.B.E. Olson received orders for 450 units, and the Grumman Olson aluminum walk-in van was born. The company grew and prospered over the next many decades. The company purchased the Sturgis, MI facility, its current headquarters, in 1963. In 1984, Grumman Olson was awarded the largest contract in its history. The United States Postal Service awarded Grumman Olson a contract worth over one billion dollars. Over 150,000 vehicles were produced