A Company Fueled by Ideas 

It all started with a truck and a young man’s resolve to provide for his family. The year was 1932. With the Great Depression worsening and his father having passed away, 17-year-old John Ruan needed a good job. With a friend’s encouragement he sold one of the family cars, bought a truck, and began working for the friend’s father, hauling gravel around Iowa.  

Fueled by his entrepreneurial spirit, personable reputation, and rock-solid work ethic, John Ruan was soon successfully running a fleet of more than a dozen trucks throughout the Midwest. By 1957, Ruan had expanded into other markets and was the nation’s largest carrier of bulk petroleum products.   

Now, more than 75 years after John Ruan loaded his first order of gravel by hand, The Ruan Companies continue to be driven by his founding principles of integrity, hard work, innovation, quality service, and compassion. Whether in domestic distribution, international commerce and finance, real estate development, or combating world hunger, we’re committed to reaching out and serving our fellow man.