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Balco
To many industry experts, the Balco name needs no introduction. For those who are engrained in to the tyre business, Balco may well be the name they were ‘raised on’! And for us at ISN Garage Assist, it has an equally memorable association.
The ‘Balancing Company’, as it first started out, was synonymous with some landmark technological developments that have helped shape the wheel care sector (such as the very first 3D wheel aligner!), with the name first appearing back in the early 80s.
Balco subsequently became a World leader in the manufacturing of ground-breaking tyre equipment, manufacturing some of the best loved, most cutting-edge alignment and balancing equipment the market had ever seen.
Over that period, the brand went on to be the undisputed first choice for tyre shops and garages in the UK – you could barely pass a workshop without seeing a product bearing the logo.
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Following an acquisition of the company by automotive giant, Snap-on Tools, the Balco name was eventually retired in favour of their US equipment marque, John Bean.
For those that have been around long enough to remember, this left quite a void for many, who had come to love their Balco tyre changer, wheel balancer or aligner.
It was when the team at ISN Garage Assist were researching the market and asking customers about equipment they’d owned, their opinions and ‘wish lists’, we realised that Balco was still a common source for praise. “My old Balco is still going strong..” was a common response, and it was that feedback that led us to reintroduce the famous brand in 2020.
Today, the Balco philosophy for focusing on ergonomic design features and premium build quality remains as intact as it was when the Balco name was first born. We make no secret of its licenced manufacturing partnerships, which include Italian tyre equipment experts, Giuliano for the balancers and changers, and Rotary for alignment and lifting. For sure, partnerships like this are worth shouting about!
To top off this nostalgic story, our Managing Director today was, in fact, one of the very first employees of the fledgling Balco UK business, spending the first 15 years in a 30 plus year career in garage equipment with Balco UK.
