Paul DeCarolis, chairman, announced that DeCarolis Truck Rental is celebrating its 80th anniversary of being in business. The company has locations in Rochester, Buffalo, Binghamton, Elmira, Geneva, Henrietta and Syracuse, New York, and was founded by Louis DeCarolis, Sr., in 1938, when he purchased a truck to give rides to workers to and from farmers’ fields.
In the early years, DeCarolis specialized in heavy-duty trucking and outside repairs, sometimes renting out its own equipment to customers. Later, the company added a truck terminal and expanded into warehousing in the 1950s. The business grew quickly with the addition of a truck stop, a Diamond Reo truck dealership, a Thermo King refrigeration franchise and a leasing and rental company.
Louis Sr., died in 1961 and was succeeded by his two sons, Louis J. and Paul. Tragedy struck in 1966 when Louis J. was killed in a plane crash and Paul “came out of the shop” to assume the presidency.
Over the years, the company evolved into becoming a provider of transportation services with a concentration on full-service leasing and truck rental as the fleet and equipment needs of clients grew.
In 1975, the company built its corporate headquarters on Colfax Street, including a maintenance facility — just one mile from where Louis DeCarolis Sr., opened his first truck stop at the corner of Mt. Read Boulevard and Emerson Street. In the ensuing years, DeCarolis added additional services, including a heavy-duty parts business along with locations across New York State.
“We are proud to be part of the fabric of the communities in which we operate,” said Michael Margarone, president. “And our plan is to continue to evolve our product and service offerings to meet the needs of the transportation industry here and across the northeast. We are grateful for the support and commitment that our customers, vendors and employees have demonstrated over the years.”
DeCarolis celebrated the company’s anniversary officially on Aug. 23 with employees, customers and vendors joining for a picnic at the company headquarters on Colfax Street.
