History
A History of Excellence
Charles H. Hodges & Son was founded in Baltimore, MD in 1934 by Charles H. Hodges Sr. as a business dedicated to supplying and servicing material handling equipment in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Northern Virginia. We specialize in:
- Loading Dock Equipment – Dock Levelers, Dock Lifts, Truck Restraints, Dock Seals and Shelters
- Doors – Sectional overhead, rolling steel, fire doors and curtains, high speed roll-up, doors, air curtains, bug barriers, and traffic doors.
- Warehousing Equipment – VRC Freight elevators, Large Diameter HVLS Fans, mezzanines, pallet rack, wire mesh partitioning, and various forms of safety equipment and guard rail.
The Hodges family has been involved with the loading dock industry since the first dock leveler was invented and manufactured by Gary Kelley back in the 1950’s. In fact, Charles H. Hodges & Son installed the first dock leveler on the East Coast in Baltimore in 1954. As the dock leveler industry has grown, we have been involved in the evolution of the equipment. Charles H. Hodges III invented and patented the airbag dock leveler which has become the number one selling push-button leveler in the world.
Experience Paired with the Latest Technology
Coming into the 21st century, one of our main focuses has been to stay up to date with current technology. We make it our duty to educate our customers on the latest and greatest technological advancements. This helps to ensure that our customers operate at peak efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Patents & Timeline
1934 | Charles H. Hodges Sr. founds the company
1944 | Relocates to 2415 Maryland Ave.
1955 | Teamed up with the Kelley Company to distribute and install dock equipment
1980 | Teamed up with Pflow industries to sell and install VRC’s
1995 | Charles H. Hodges III patented the air bag dock leveler
2012 | Jamison H. Hodges patented a universal hold down mechanism for mechanical dock levelers.
2018 | Jamison H. Hodges purchases the Company representing the 4th generation of family ownership
2019 | Moved the offices out of Baltimore City and consolidated a storage warehouse and the sales office into a newly renovated space on Deereco Rd in Baltimore County, just north of the city.
A Loading Dock Legacy
Read all about our history and how we came to be Maryland’s oldest dock loading specialists in the Spring 2017 issue of The Who’s Who in Building & Construction.
