 
Later Years, into the McClain-Clean Earth Era
In July of 1992, Peabody International sold its Peabody Galion division to McClain Industries of Sterling Heights, Michigan. This included the entire E-Z Pack refuse line and Galion dump truck bodies, plus factories in Galion and Winesburg, Ohio. McClain eventually added plants in Oklahoma City and Macon, Georgia. McClain had started out as a steel fabricator, one its products being refuse containers, eventually entering into the refuse equipment business in 1973. (Note: McClain products prior to this period are listed separately within CRT) Following the purchase by McClain, Galion Solid Waste Equipment (as it was to be called) basically functioned as a separate division. The E-Z Pack product line remained intact, anchored by Goliath and Hercules, along with drop-frame side loaders and recyclers. During this time, these were sometimes referred to as McClain E-Z Pack bodies. The division fared well during the 1990s, though troubled economic times loomed going in to the twenty-first century. The under-perfoming dump truck body division was first let go in 2000 at a substantial loss. Then, after a little more than a decade of ownership, McClain agreed to sell the E-Z Pack product line to Clean Earth Kentucky LLC in July, 2003. 
A McClain E-Z Pack Hercules front loader from 1999 
The old HCSL received new sheetmetal during the McClain era With E-Z Pack on the verge of extinction, credit Clean Earth with keeping the famous marque on life support. This was no small task, which involved moving production from Galion, Ohio to the Cynthiana, Kentucky, about fifty miles south of Cincinnati. Clean Earth intended to add E-Z Pack refuse bodies to their existing line of street sweepers, vacuums and excavators. By 2005, both E-Z Pack Hercules front loaders and Goliath rear loaders were once again in production, the latter now fitted with an all-new curved shell body (the G-370C). However, the side loader and recycler never resturned, and in January, 2006, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Once more, the future of E-Z Pack was in doubt. 
2005 advertisement for the new E-Z Pack line from Clean Earth 
Peabody-Galion factory at Galion, Ohio, circa 1980. A half century of refuse truck production ended here when McClain sold E-Z Pack division 
10/4/09 (revised 7/5/10) © 2009 Eric Voytko All Rights Reserved Photos from factory brochures/advertisements except as noted Logos shown are the trademarks of respective manufacturers |
Production of the original front loader continued even after the debut of the Hercules half-pack. Shown here is the original Clar designed lift arm (left) next to an updated version with over-the-cab lift arms. Change may have been made to standardize assembly line with Hercules production
Undoubtedly one of the rarest of E-Z Packs, the Olympian was a reduced weight full-pack front loader. With optional aluminum packer panel and top door, this 42 cubic yarder weighed in a shade under 16,000 pounds.
One of last new designs of the Peabody era was the 1990 Enviro-Pack 1000, a split-body recycler in 29 and 33 cubic yard sizes. It had partial pack blades for the top and bottom compartments and tilt-to-dump unloading. E-Z Pack automatic tailgate locks were standard