Old and new TANKCO
My name is William Foster. My lifes work and career is machinery. I studied mechanical engineering and have had many years experience working in automotive factories across Michigan. Some of my jobs were engineering in the office, some were on the factory floor. I am an engineer who can not only design it in my mind, but then go out and actually build it with my own hands. I noticed a major gap between engineers and mechanics. I always felt like I could bridge that gap between those two worlds and most engineers could not. I truly understand both sides of the industrial manufacturing world.
Founded in 2008 in Flint, Michigan, Tankco Custom Engineering L.L.C was my first step out from the college world and into the business world. I formed a crew of welders and mechanics to help me build the SdKfz 250 FULL SIZE halftrack replica for our first customer. The requirements were for accurate historical details in every possible way, the customer was a war re-enactor. We did not yet have a proper garage facility or correct tools but nevertheless this build contract was completed. Since that first build many contracts have been accepted and completed. TANKCO has never once failed to deliver a working machine. The "Nachomobile" (Kart-Bikes) have been the most popular machine, even though it is non military, TANKCO has built the most of them. The Kettenkrad was designed and built with my own time and money in 2012 and this was the first design to be digitally blueprinted in Solidworks CAD software. These bulueprints have recently become a best seller. After a while the old crew disbanded and original TANKCO faded into YouTube obscurity. Every year or so, someone would contact me out of nowhere with a build project and I would stop whatever I was doing and work full time to fufill the new build contract.
2016 to 2019 was a period of TOTAL personal and career reorginization, selling my home, business and all assets in Michigan and moving all over America for a few years, living in my converted army truck/camper rig. In 2020 I founded TANKCO L.L.C. and registered the company in Mason county West Virginia. New TANKCO is alive and well. Seasoned from past experiences and holding on to time proven designs, while adapting and improving wherever possible. New prototypes are being created and standard machines are being kept IN STOCK.
The time honored "build contract" system is still being offered for custom and special projects. I am willing to discuss and estimate a cost for any machine you can possibly think up, all you have to do is call me. I will be hiring welders and mechanics as nessesary to complete builds.