A History of Eureka Coach

Eureka Coach's colorful corporate name extends far back in history to 1871 when in Rock Falls, Illinois, the company was originally founded. It was not incorporated, however, for another 16 years (1887) which actually gives the Eureka Manufacturing Company the honor of celebrating not one, but two, birthdays.

Like many successful companies, Eureka Mfg. Co. originally made one product before later changing to another. Eureka's first products included desks, chairs and church furniture before switching over to horse-drawn vehicles, such as cars, wagons and buggies. Eventually, Eureka was among the largest vehicle producers in the United States.

Times changed with the invention of the automobile, and again, Eureka began pursuing new avenues. With a large investment in woodworking equipment and a number of highly skilled woodworkers and craftsmen, Eureka turned to the manufacturing of beautifully carved wooden bodies for hearses and ambulances.

Eureka's first major innovation in its funeral car design came in the early 1920s, when the company pioneered its totally new style of funeral car — the limousine. Within a few years, all funeral car and ambulance manufacturers had followed Eureka's design and had changed exclusively to this attractive new style.

Eureka's next development was also a leader in the funeral industry. Eureka employee, Wilber Myers (who later became one of Eureka's company presidents) developed a movable casket table to ease the task of loading and unloading caskets.

Over the years, Eureka had developed a number of innovative creations for the industry and was faced with a growing list of competitors, making the struggle for their market share increasingly difficult from year to year. In 1964, faced with a hard decision, the Eureka Mfg. Co. closed its doors.

All was not lost, however. In 1980, Thomas McPherson was personally able to resurrect the proud Eureka name when he opened his own funeral coach manufacturing company in Toronto. Through the next several years, Eureka had rebounded to, once again, become a leading competitor in the industry.

In 1989, a group of investors (CCE, Inc.) moved the company to a brand new facility in Norwalk, Ohio. In 1993, looking to expand their market share and manufacturing efficiencies, the group purchased the Miller-Meteor name which also has a rich history in the professional vehicle industry. This operation ran for six years before being purchased by the largest producer of funeral vehicles.

In July 1999, Superior Holdings, Inc. (a PNC Company) acquired certain assets of CCE, Inc. and moved all manufacturing to their Lima, Ohio facility. Today, under the Accubuilt, Inc. corporate title, this facility manufactures quality professional vehicles for several distinct brand names including Eureka Coach.

With a team of quality builders, designers and engineers, Eureka continues its rich heritage of product innovations and customer satisfaction with "contemporary style." Eureka Coach builds its vehicles on the foundation of quality and craftsmanship and is recognized for its trend-setting designs and dignity it provides its customers. This is evident in the styles of yesteryear as well as those of today.