Collins Associates, Inc. was founded in 1952 by Arden "Art" Collins and grew into the largest manufacturer's representative agency in the Truck Body and Equipment industry. The company provided on a contract and commission basis, sales, advertising and marketing services to truck body and equipment manufacturers.

In 1964, Art formed The Truck Equipment & Body Distributors Association (more commonly called the D/A) and served as the unofficial director of the association. The D/A was eventually renamed the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) and has grown into the industry's sole association representing truck equipment distributors, truck body manufacturers, truck equipment manufacturers, and other affiliated companies. Click here for more (No silver foot, no silver spoon).

Ron and Larry Collins acquired the company from their father in 1978 and changed it from a sales and marketing agency to a manufacturer.The Venco liftgate line was acquired in 1979 and the company added a full line of scissors hoists for pickups, flatbeds and dump bodies in 1981. In 1989 the company acquired electric crane manufacturer, Santa Anita Manufacturing, Inc. The name was changed to Venturo Manufacturing, Inc. and the product line was significantly expanded to include hydraulic cranes and crane bodies. In 1994, Brett and Scott Collins (Ron and Larry's sons, respectively) joined the business and manage it today with a team of family and non-family members. Recent product line expansions include exclusive distribution of Ferrari Articulating Cranes in the U.S. and distribution of the Ingersoll Rand line of hydraulic truck mounted air compressors.