Our History

About Carl Grover

Carl Grover, the President of Engines, Inc., often recounts the story of his arrival in the Huntington area. On January 15, 1963, he arrived from Logan County with nothing more than a borrowed suitcase and $50 to his name, braving what he recalls as “the coldest day of my life.” He still holds onto that old suitcase, a symbol of his humble beginnings, though it seems unlikely he’ll ever need to use it again.

Today, Grover leads Engines, Inc., a thriving company with locations in Milton, West Virginia; South Point, Ohio; and Huntington, collectively offering 230,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Despite its name, Engines, Inc. does not produce engines. Instead, the company specializes in manufacturing rail car parts, major sub-assemblies, and re-machining worn steel rolls for steel mills. For over 25 years, Engines, Inc. has been a trusted provider of custom machining and fabrication, equipped with high-tech machinery capable of burning, bending, punching, rolling, milling, turning, and grinding metal to meet diverse fabrication needs.

One notable example of their capabilities is the combined plasma burning machine and punch at the Milton plant. This advanced equipment processes flat steel sheets measuring 10 by 20 feet, creating up to 45 different sizes and shapes of holes for various fasteners. The machine can then cut the sheets into thousands of pieces, which are transformed into essential components like brackets, stiffeners, and gussets for rail cars.

Engines, Inc. has also taken on unique projects over the years. The company has crafted scaffolding used for renovations at the Washington Monument and the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, and even contributed to the painting of a "sky mural" on the ceiling of New York City's Grand Central Station.

Grover proudly notes that Engines, Inc. assembled the largest mining dragline east of the Mississippi River. “Every year, we look for new challenges and innovative products,” he says. “We seek out projects that others might shy away from.”

The company's name reflects Grover's background as a machinist. Although Engines, Inc. does not build race car engines, Grover's passion for auto racing is well-known. He has crafted parts for race cars, built dirt-track racing vehicles, and tuned cars for local enthusiasts, demonstrating his lifelong dedication to the sport.