Our 40th Anniversary Eagle Tarp Showdown set out to find the most memorable tarping system from four decades of building retractable tarping systems (35 of those years spent producing the Eagle Tarp System specifically). Out of 64 systems entered, one stood out for a reason no plaque can fully capture.
A month ago, our Verduyn Tarps USA team, represented by Brent Wishart and Zak Verduyn, made the trip out to meet the crew at Alco Transportation, Inc. / SteelPro, overall runner-up and winner of the US Division. What they found when they got there wasn’t just a great-looking tarping system. It was a family, a legacy, and a reminder of exactly why we do what we do.
A Competition That Took On a Life of Its Own
Lisa Russo and her team didn’t just enter the Showdown. They brought their whole company into it, rallied their personal communities, and turned every round into something to talk about around the office. It made the race for votes genuinely fun to watch from our end.
Alco / SteelPro took home their US Division win, a plaque of the winning tarping system, $1,000 in store credit, and a stack of VTI swag. Brent and Zak spent the visit with Lisa and the Russo family for photos and celebration, but what this team has given us over the years is worth far more than any prize. Watching a competition take on a life of its own is something special, and it’s exactly the kind of partnership we’re proud to be built on.
As Zak put it after the visit, the family loved the plaque and were already debating where to hang it so the whole team could see it. Their mom included, who wanted to make sure it ended up somewhere safe and well cared for.
The Story Behind the Tarping System
Here’s the part that stopped us in our tracks. Lisa shared the history behind the SteelPro tarping system with Brent, our Detroit General Manager, and it’s a story worth telling.
When Lisa’s father, Jack (“Jumpin’ Jack,” or JJ to those who knew him), passed away in 2012, her brother Sal wanted to create a tribute. He landed on the idea of a tarp, and the family started digging through old photos to bring it to life. The tarping system’s design is divided into four sections, and Lisa walked through what each one represents:
- Section one: JJ standing next to the very first pole at Wayne, the company now known as Wayne Industries.
- Section two: the addition of the rail as the operation expanded.
- Section three: the specialized equipment, and the people, who built the business up.
- Section four: the building as it stands today.
As Lisa put it, it’s the strength, backbone, and work ethic of JJ, and the support of everyone who’s worked alongside the family since, that got them here. She even shared a photo of her mother, Mrs. Russo, seeing the first prototype of the tarping system for the very first time.
That’s not just graphics on a trailer. That’s a family’s history, driving down the highway for everyone to see.
A Memory That Stuck With Us Too
The story hit home on our side, too. Brent Wishart remembers the day that commemorative tarping system was first built like it was yesterday, including the day Lisa and the Russo family stopped by to see it before it shipped out.
It’s the kind of memory that sticks with you. Brent still tells the story to employees today, and every time one of those tarping systems passes him on the highway, it’s a reminder of what this partnership has meant over the years.
What This Really Comes Down To
This is what the Eagle Tarp Showdown was always meant to celebrate: not just 64 great-looking entries, but the businesses, families, and people behind them. Alco Transportation and SteelPro didn’t just show up to compete. They showed up as family, and they made this anniversary one for the books.
That’s the partnership Verduyn Tarps is built on: showing up for the businesses that keep America’s wheels turning, with tarping systems and service built to match the work ethic of the people running them. Forty years in, that hasn’t changed, and stories like Alco’s are exactly why.
To Lisa, Sal, and everyone at Alco Transportation / SteelPro, thank you for your enthusiasm, your loyalty, and for reminding us what this industry is really about.
Want to see how the rest of the competition stacked up? Check out the full Eagle Tarp All-Star Showdown results.
Ready to put an Eagle Tarp System to work for your fleet? Learn more and request a quote.
