At Tallman Equipment, we are an employee-owned company that provides tools, equipment, and services for the construction and maintenance of Electrical Transmission and distribution infrastructure. Whether it’s a large, multi-state construction project, managing a storm, or providing power to a single home, Tallman Equipment has the equipment and expertise to make it all happen. 

Tallman Equipment was formed in the mid-1940s when John Tallman returned from World War 2 and teamed up with friends from the Army to provide tools and services to the electrical construction industry. The company was officially incorporated as Tallman Equipment by John’s son Warren Tallman in 1952 and had its first office on 31st Street in Downtown Chicago.

The original company consisted of Warren, a sales representative, one shop worker and an accountant, and remained in that form until the mid-1990s. Warren always focused on helping the customer rather than growing or expanding beyond the company’s capacity at the time. The team could average about 8 orders a day, many of which were done by hand or on a typewriter, as Warren had no interest in introducing computers.

In the mid-1970s, the company relocated to the western suburbs of Chicago, settling in Bensenville, Illinois, next door to O’Hare Airport. The property consisted of a dilapidated pole barn where products were stored and a converted old two-car garage that was used as an office. At that time, the business consisted of selling and renting tools and repairing stringing blocks in-house. One of the company’s first innovations was a formula developed by Warren Tallman for relining Stringing Blocks called Tallurine. This “Secret Formula” is still in use today on some products.

Fast forward to September 1995. Tony Bozell, a lineman and general foreman working for an electrical contractor in Chicago, begins working for the company. Tony eventually purchased Tallman Equipment and became sole owner in 1996, after Warren’s retirement. Tony served as President from Tallman Equipment until 2017 when he transitioned to CEO, and in 2023, Tony transitioned from CEO to Chairman of the Board. Tony saw a great opportunity to do more and grow the company while maintaining close customer relationships.

One of the first growth opportunities for Tallman Equipment was to become a Stanley Hydraulics distributor. Tallman Equipment quickly became one of the top distributors of Stanley Hydraulics, despite operating in only two states. This was just a taste of the growth that was to come under Tony’s leadership.

The next major milestone for Tallman Equipment was the introduction of the DDIN product line. While Warren Tallman had already developed tools under his direction, Tony’s field experience was instrumental in expanding and creating quality tools that workers needed. The focus of the DDIN product line is to produce a better quality product for our lineman. When a product is brought to market, it goes through “Lineman Proof” testing and quality control. The idea is that DDIN products are built with the highest quality possible because they are exposed to the field conditions that linemen must work in.

Under Tony’s leadership, the company continued to grow, developing more products and improving the services offered by Tallman Equipment. In the early 2000’s the company added its tool repair department as many of the larger customers requested this service.

Read full article in the Smart Grid & Linemen Safety Special Edition magazine