Ward LaFrance is named after its founder, Addison Ward LaFrance. In his early years Addison worked as an engineer for his father and uncle at American LaFrance. He was assigned the project of developing a spring raising aerial with the added incentive that if it worked, his father would buy him a car agency (now known as car dealerships).

Obviously, the spring raising ladder worked and Addison Ward LaFrance was rewarded with a car dealership. The success of the dealership led to the formation of a truck manufacturer which he named the "LaFrance Truck Manufacturing Company." The similarity in name with the flourishing American LaFrance Fire Engine Co. caused confusion even back then.

At a meeting with American LaFrance's company officials, it was suggested that Addison Ward LaFrance rename his company the "Ward LaFrance Truck Company." He did so, and the rest is history.

With manufacturing facilities located in his hometown of Elmira Heights, New York, the Ward LaFrance Truck Company established a reputation for innovation and quality. Its distinctive nameplate could soon be found on an array of diverse vehicles such as tank wreckers for the military, vans for UPS, over the road tractors, cement trucks, dump trucks, chassis for buses and trolleys, and even an armored car or two. If it had wheels and it was a truck, odds are that Ward LaFrance built it at one time or another.

But above all, Ward LaFrance will forever be synonymous with the fire trucks it manufactured. With distinctive grills, optional fender skirts, and ultra vision cabs, any fire truck enthusiast can spot a Ward LaFrance a mile away. Their appearance is literally an industrial work of art and their performance is legendary.