Backwoods Bumpers, Chandler Truck Accessories Merge

Backwoods Bumpers Custom Fabrication of Fayetteville has merged with Chandler Truck Accessories of Springdale, a move the companies said would expand manufacturing capabilities for their line of off-road aftermarket steel bumpers.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The newly merged company will be known as Backwoods Adventure Mods and have 60 employees.

Founded in 2007, Backwoods designs, makes and customizes bumpers and modifications for trucks, Jeeps, SUVs and vans. It also offers aftermarket bumpers and modifications for dealerships and do-it-yourselfers. 

The company, which has just four full-time employees, makes a complete line of accessories it says are popular with truck-modification enthusiasts and overland sprinter van owners. It said limited space, coupled with the popularity of its products, caused the company to have production lead times of between six-to-eight weeks. 

With the merger, Backwoods will move into Chandler’s 65,000-SF production facility, which Backwoods founder Evan House said will allow for growth and more employees.

“We’re very excited about this merger because we’ll now be able to utilize the cutting-edge production capabilities of Chandler Equipment,” House said in a news release. “But more importantly, this will allow us to meet the demand of our customers without sacrificing our reputation for handcrafted-quality and customization we’ve earned over the past decade.”

Chandler makes heavy-duty truck boxes for industrial-type fleet trucks. The company is an outgrowth of Chandler Equipment Inc., an industrial component manufacturer.

Chandler CEO Chris Chandler said the Backwoods venture is in line with his vision for the company and is looking forward to what the merger will accomplish.

“It was just a great fit, a no-brainer,” Chandler said. “Evan and I share the same values as far as work ethic and standard of quality. I really believe this will be mutually beneficial to us both.”