STOUGHTON TRAILERS

When Stoughton Trailers began planning its new headquarters, the goal was simple: bring people together.

For years, the company’s teams had been spread across multiple buildings in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Collaboration was difficult, space was tight, and leadership saw an opportunity to create something better—a central hub where employees could work side-by-side and feel connected to the company’s mission.

“We were in a very cramped space on the east side of Stoughton,” said Ron Jake, Marketing Director at Stoughton Trailers. “We had people in different buildings, and we wanted to bring them all together and give them a place where they could collaborate.”

The new facility would become much more than office space. It would serve as a physical expression of the company itself—its scale, its products, its people, and its roots in the community.

Founded in 1961, Stoughton Trailers has grown into one of the largest equipment manufacturers in Wisconsin. The company produces semi-trailers, intermodal chassis, and other transportation equipment used to move goods across the country.

Today, Stoughton Trailers is not only the largest employer in the city of Stoughton but also one of the largest employers in Dane County.

With a company of that size and history, the new headquarters presented a unique opportunity: create a space that reflected the scope of the business while reinforcing pride among employees.

Stoughton Trailers already had a relationship with Thysse as one of the company’s print suppliers. That familiarity—combined with seeing the work Thysse had completed for other organizations in the Madison area—made the decision easy.

“We knew Thysse and had a relationship with them,” Jake said. “We had visited their new headquarters and saw the branding installations they had done. We really liked that they were local and were familiar with several projects Thysse did in the Madison area. It was an easy choice.”

Working together, the teams set out to design a building environment that told the company’s story from multiple angles.

One of the most impactful elements appears in a hallway gallery featuring aerial photography of Stoughton Trailers’ facilities. Located across the United States, many of these sites span hundreds of thousands of square feet.

“When you walk down the hallway and see this gallery of drone shots of our facilities, it really gives you an idea of how big the company is,” Jake explained.

Each location operates independently, but seeing them together in a single visual display helps visitors—and employees—understand the true scale and reach of the company.

While the installations celebrate the company’s size and products, they also highlight the individuals who have helped build it.

In the employee café, an employee recognition display honors team members who have been with the company for ten years or more.

“If you’ve been here ten years, your name is on the wall,” Jake said. “If you’ve been here twenty, you get a larger badge, and if you’ve been here thirty, you get an even bigger one.”

The display serves as a permanent acknowledgment of the dedication and longevity of the workforce—something that has played a major role in the company’s success.

Another space designed to celebrate people is the company’s Hall of Fame installation located in the training center.

The display recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the organization’s success. At the time of installation, the company was already preparing to nominate the first class of inductees.

“It’s designed to honor those who have made really significant achievements for the company,” Jake said.

By celebrating those contributions publicly, the installation reinforces a culture that values long-term impact and recognizes the individuals who have helped shape the company’s success. 

Throughout the building, the design incorporates elements of the company’s products in unexpected ways.

In the lobby, for example, the main support structure of the staircase is built using an intermodal chassis frame—the same structural component used in Stoughton Trailers’ equipment.

Other details throughout the building follow the same theme.

The wood used across the interior is the exact same material used for trailer floors. Some furniture pieces incorporate trailer components. Even the doors to one of the conference rooms are repurposed refrigerated trailer doors—engineered and adapted for use within the building.

“They’re highly insulated and very heavy,” Jake said. “There was a lot of engineering that went into figuring out how to hang them properly for conference room use—but they work really well.”

The result is a workspace that subtly reflects the engineering and craftsmanship behind the company’s products.

Another key installation is a detailed company timeline that highlights the evolution of Stoughton Trailers.

The display traces major milestones across the company’s history and celebrates the innovations and growth that have shaped the organization over more than six decades.

“This is our history timeline. It shows the evolution of the company through many years,” Jake said. “We’re celebrating our 65th anniversary this year, so there’s lots of detail about significant events in our company.”

Designing the installation required careful consideration of what to include.

“It was a challenging installation to do just because we wanted to fit so much in there,” Jake explained. “But it really tells the story of the company.”

Heritage displays like this offer both employees and guests important context. Organizations rarely appear overnight in their current form, and seeing the journey helps frame the present while inviting people to think about the future.

Visual stories that chronicle decades of milestones challenge the all-too-common mindset of measuring progress only in quarters and years. Instead, they highlight the long arc of innovation, investment, and perseverance that builds enduring organizations.

For the Thysse team, the opportunity to collaborate on a project that touched nearly every part of the building was especially meaningful.

“When I think about this building and the work we’ve done here, the word that comes to mind is roots,” said Beth Hamacher, Director of Business Development for Thysse Facility Branding.

Stoughton Trailers has been part of the Stoughton community since 1961, and the new headquarters reflects that deep connection to place.

For Stoughton Trailers, the investment in facility branding was about more than aesthetics. It was about creating a workplace that tells the company’s story.

“I think the branding elements are an important part of this beautiful headquarters,” Jake said. “They reflect the company’s history, the products we make, and they honor the employees.”

Without those elements, he notes, the building would feel incomplete.

“It just doesn’t give that same sense of pride in the products, the history, and the heart of the company.”

At Stoughton Trailers’ new headquarters, every installation—from the facility gallery and recognition walls to the timeline and product-inspired architecture—contributes to a larger narrative. Together, they transform the building from a workplace into a shared expression of identity, reminding employees and visitors alike that the company’s success is built not just on products, but by people—people who have written chapters in a living story that continues to move forward.