July 19, 2026, marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Newgren Company. We consider the history of the Newgren Company and its co-founder, Robert Green, to be among the most important research we have conducted over the past 24 years.
In summary, when Charles Sorensen became president of Willys-Overland in 1944, he quickly took control of the civilian Jeep project. He also had two men join him. The first was George Newlin, his long-time farm manager who would head the farm sales operation. The second was Robert Green, a young hydraulic engineer who had worked at Ford’s Willow Run airplane factory. Green would join Barney Roos’ team working on the Jeep’s hydraulic lift. Why Sorensen picked Green remains one of the great mysteries of the Farm Jeep story.
The hydraulic lift was not ready when the CJ2a was introduced in July 1945. However, Sorensen knew the lift was the key to the Jeep’s success. At some point, Sorensen picked Newlin and Green to form a company to sell the new lift and farm implements. The company would be independent of Willys, but would sell their products through Willys dealerships. As noted, Newlin and Green formed the new company just prior to the announcement of the Love/Newgren lift.
Newgren Equipment would only last four years, but during that time, it became known for high-quality implements. They provided engineering and testing operations to ensure that the equipment they sold worked well with the Jeep. Newlin and Green found independent implement manufacturers to build their products. In 1948, Monroe Auto Equipment Company acquired Newgren. Monroe had developed a lift for the Jeep, making it the third lift design used by Willys. Monroe stopped production of the Newgren lift, but expanded Newgren’s implement operation.
Within a few months, Monroe sold Newgren to American Bantam in a stock exchange deal. Newgren’s operation would move to Butler, PA, and would begin some in-house implement production using American Bantam’s manufacturing facilities. Newlin would leave the organization. Green would remain, but in a reduced role. This new arrangement did not work.
As a result of mismanagement, Bantam found itself in deep financial and legal problems. They would sue Monroe, and although the case was settled without going to trial, the Newgren Company was gone by 1950. Monroe turned all sales and distribution of the hydraulic lift over to Willys. Newgren’s roles of engineering, testing, sales, and distribution would become part of Willys’ Farm Sales Division.
We believe the best way to understand Newgren’s history and its importance to the Farm Jeep is to read Robert Green’s story. Green was there for all of it. There are also bits and pieces of the history spread throughout the site. Starting with our work way back in 2008.
Originally published 10/2008
In the fall of 2002, we set out in search of a hydraulic implement lift for our first farm jeep. There had been a jeep with a Monroe Lift in the family, but Barry had become enamored with the Stratton model in use at Farm Jeeps on the CJ3B page. The appeal was the lift mounted underneath the bed leaving both the bed and tailgate intact and available for use. The lift we finally purchased had a similar design to the Stratton was a Newgren. In our search for more information on our Newgren lift (not to mention parts) we learned a little about the company.
The Newgren Company
Our friends Lonnie and Marilyn Deweese are serious Willys enthusiasts and fellow Newgren lift owners told us the following:
“My information was Monroe bought out the Newgren Co in late 1948 and a short time later the Austin Bantam Car Co.in Butler, PA bought it from Monroe, however, the actual factory was located in Toledo, OH. At this time of sale the Newgren Co. basically was an advertising company only. I do have a copy of papers from Wiley Bros and Lewis at the Packard Willys Dealership in West Chester, PA that were still selling Newgren Implements in early 1951, however, they were having a hard time getting equipment and weren’t sure they could fulfill orders.”
Articles from the 1948 New York Times supports Lonnie and Marilyn’s information and also tell us Monroe and Bantam sued one another over Newgren for several years, Bantam went bankrupt, merged, and was sold and then resold. We don’t know how long the resulting company made agricultural implements but Newgren Co’s remnants disappears from records after 1956.
Evan’s notes: So at some point Newgren was owned by Monroe (of Monroe Lift and later Monroe Shock fame). We know the Newgren lifts were no longer produced by the time they were sold off to Bantam. I wonder if Monroe killed off Newgren’s lift production when they bought them (assuming Monroe bought Newgren for their agricultural implement business and not just to kill off a lift competitor)… or maybe Bantam’s Newgren stopped manufacturing lifts as part of the sale agreement with Monroe… or maybe Bantam just found the lifts weren’t profitable..
Speaking of Bantam, if I recall my jeep history correctly, Bantam actually won the Army’s competition for a light Four Wheel Drive combat vehicle in 1940, but was outmaneuvered (see: cheated, screwed) by Willys and Ford. For all their engineering work that led to the GPW (and then CJ-2a) they were rewarded with.. wait for it… a trailer contract.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave.
In the past few years, we have compiled more information about Newgren in the form of articles:
The Making of the Farm Jeep – Part 2
Newgren Equipment Company – Part 2
Newgren had always produced implements for their lift. The lift geometry of both the Love and Newgren lifts required a short mast plow. By the time that Monroe purchased the company, Newgren had a complete line of 3-point implements. These implements, especially the line of plows, have their own history. We will be publishing more on Newgren implements in the coming months.
For now, check out the story of the Bantam plow.
Update
We continue to research the history of this short-lived, but important Farm Jeep company. We have research projects underway on the two founding partners, George Newlin and Robert Green. And we continue to learn bits and pieces about Newgren. Sometimes they appear in the strangest places.