Our History
During the late 1800’s, The Holt Family had a wagon and wagon wheel manufacturing business in New England. One of the brothers came to San Francisco and opened a business which included the manufacturing of wagon wheels. Those wheels assembled in San Francisco’s moist climate soon fell apart in the heat of the San Joaquin Valley. In 1883 they moved the business to Stockton, California, where the dryer climate allowed them to make sturdy wheels which became famous for their durability. They earned a nationwide reputation for outstanding quality and innovation, building strong, dependable wheels and developing solutions for special applications.
In 1892, The Company was incorporated as Holt Manufacturing Company and Stockton Wheel Company on the corner of Aurora and Church. As Holt Manufacturing grew, the wheel business was continued as a side line and stayed in the Holt family until 1932, When Robert Nephew purchased the business and moved it to Miner Avenue. The business moved to Fremont Street in 1941. James Barry purchased the business in 1954, and sold it to Roger Kitto in 1957. In 1975 the business moved to the present location at 648 W. Fremont Street. The business was then purchased by Frank Mauro Jr., in 1977 who owned Stockton Wheel until May 2011. Stockton Wheel has been under new ownership since then.
Since its founding, the company has fabricated wheels for almost every corner of the world. From small cart wheels, to giant industrial and agricultural wheels. Wheels for NASA’s Space Shuttle, the movie and entertainment industry, and of course, custom wheels for hot rods and cars. Stockton Wheel has come to symbolize ingenuity and dependability. It has earned national and international respect as the leader in its field, as seen from its exposure in widely read hot-rod magazines such as Hot Rod, American Rodder, Rod and Custom, Custom Classic Truck, Truckin’ 4WD and Off Road, Four Wheeler, and Sport Compact Car. Memorabilia from Stockton Wheel Service can even be found in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
If you’re anywhere near the Stockton area, it’s worth a trip to go by and see this unique shop. You get a real sense of history. Stockton Wheel Service is the country’s oldest operating wheelwright, and has been in business continually for over 115 years.
If you’re building a street rod or “restoring” some street muscle, you owe it to yourself to give Stockton Wheel a call. You don’t have to settle for the wrong wheels just because they’re close to right. After all, 115 years of wheel manufacturing and fabrication does give you some expertise.
“When it comes to wheels, Stockton Wheel is the only name to know.” –Street Rodder Magazine April 1997
Why Stockton Wheel?
When you ask most people about Stockton Wheel Service, they say “Oh, yeah! They’re the guys that straighten wheels.” It is true that they may be the best shop in the country to send your wheels if you have problems. They do an outstanding job if you need to have your wheels polished or plated, bent wheels straightened, stock wheels widened, offset and back-spacing corrected, or a host of other wheel problems fixed.
But what about new wheels? What if you want a set of new Rally wheels or Magnums? What if you want wheels that look like they came with your car but you can fit with hi-tech, low-profile tires? Call Stockton Wheel. They understand what you want and know what your vehicle needs. You will be hard-pressed to find anybody, anywhere, who knows more about wheels and is as willing to talk about them.
If you’re anywhere near the Stockton area, it’s worth a trip to go by and see this unique shop. You get a real sense of history. Stockton Wheel Service is the country’s oldest operating wheelwright, they have been in business for over 100 years. The company is even represented in the Smithsonian Institute.
Stockton Wheel is still solving problems for their customers. Now their concentration is on custom designed wheels for street rods, and doing it right. Anybody can weld a wheel, all it takes is a welder. You can even do it out of your house. The trick is to make sure it’s round when you’re through and that it stays together after you put it on your vehicle. It helps when you’re committed to do the kind of job you would want for your own car.
The crew at Stockton Wheel have a vast knowledge of wheels. It’s hard to stump them when you ask what the OEM wheel was and what were the options for a specific car. They will build a wheel to your specs, but if you want it authentic, they are the authorities.
If you’re building a street rod or “restoring” some street muscle, you owe it to yourself to give us a call. You don’t have to settle for the wrong wheels just because they’re close to right.