RODGERS HYDRAULIC

Rodgers Hydraulic, Inc. was founded by brothers John L. Rodgers, Sr. and George A. Rodgers in 1929. Incorporated in 1936, the company started by making parts for construction tractors. Brother Jim invented a hydraulic device, and it attracted business from the CCC and Caterpillar. The business operated at 7401 Walker Street, which had been the old Martin Manufacturing Co.

Their ad in the 1945 Directory read:

Rodgers contributions to the war effort have been in the form of hydraulic track presses to service tracks on all types of Crawler Tractors, Wheel presses to service Crawler Tanks and Amphibious Landing Craft, Universal Presses for general maintenance and as standard equipment on Mobile Machine Shops, [and] Plastic Molding Presses to form numerous plastic products used by all branches of the service. Some day these products will be available to Peace Time Industry. All designed and built by the People of this Community.

That prophecy came true as its products were used in the construction of the Aswan Dam on the Nile River between 1960 and 1970.

In 1966, the company was sold to the Victor Equipment Company of San Francisco. The Rodgers Brothers retired from active participation but remained on the board. David L. Blair became President.

In the Rodgers Hydraulics file we find two newsletters that give clues as to subsidiaries of the company. Thermotech News was published for the first time in December 1969, and gave an account of Cosom, located at 6030 Wayzata Blvd. in Golden Valley. At that time, the fiberglass department moved to 5610 W. 36th Street in St. Louis Park and the Marine department moved to Booker & Wallestad building at 3326 Gorham, also in St. Louis Park. Booker & Wallestad moved to Hopkins at the same time.

The next year, November 1970, the ITT Termotech News gives a history of Booker & Wallestad.

For more information on Rodgers Hydraulic, see the chapter in Something in the Water.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.