The company was founded in 1954 by David F. Brownell on the site of his family’s farm that was located just a little over a mile away from the waterfront in Mattapoisett Massachusetts. The company was named Brownell Boatworks, Inc. and Mr. Brownell was a builder of custom Eldredge McInnis designed powerboats that ranged in size from 24’ to 52’ in length. In just a short period of time the demand for these custom boats by avid fishermen increased to the point where the toughest part of the job was moving these vessels through the various building stages as well as several trips to and from the waterfront for sea trials and launching parties. With plenty of new boat orders coming in on a regular basis, Mr. Brownell switched his focus to coming up with a safe and efficient method of moving the boats. As he looked at one of his boats sitting in the shed, he realized that he needed a trailer with an open U-shaped frame design that could be placed under a boat without coming into contact with the keel blocking and vertical supports. He also realized that he would need several different sizes of vertical supports to stabilize boats with different drafts or possibly something that was adjustable. Just a few months later Mr. Brownell built his first hydraulic trailer and a set of adjustable boat stands. He was amazed at how gentle the boat was handled by the trailer and the short amount of time it took to load the boat, move it to its next location and unload it. Although he was elated by the performance of his new trailer, being the perfectionist that he is, he knew that he could make the trailers and stands even better. Over the next few years Mr. Brownell implemented many new changes and the result was an extremely efficient system of moving boats that required very little maintenance. It didn’t take long before his new invention was noticed by others and the demand was overwhelming. However, he knew that in order to make them affordable to the general public, he would have to implement special machinery to build the trailers and stands in a manner that was far more efficient.

The results of Mr. Brownell’s effort can be seen at the Industrial Park in Mattapoisett Massachusetts where two large automated manufacturing facilities produce hydraulic boat trailers and adjustable boat stands. Brownell is now known as the world’s largest producer of boat stands and makes the finest trailer of its type available in today’s marketplace.

When you purchase Brownell Equipment, you will have peace of mind knowing that your adjustable boat stands and hydraulic trailers have been built by the family that invented the concept, uses the products themselves, and as a result knows your needs inside and out.