America 250: How Wisconsin businesses shaped our nation's history
America 250: How Wisconsin businesses shaped our nation's history
America is about to turn 250 years old, and it would be a very different country without the contributions of Wisconsin companies.
MILWAUKEE - America is about to turn 250 years old, and it would be a very different country without the contributions of Wisconsin companies.
Contributions of Wisconsin companies
What we know:
Shane Murray walks the floor of CNH facility in Racine with the pace of a man in a hurry to get the day started. His title is Quality Manager, but today he’s showing a TV news crew around the plant, and sounding very much like a guy who loves playing tour guide as well.
Jerome Increase Case
Ever since Jerome Increase Case set up shop in 1842, Case has been building farming equipment sold around the world. Murray, a mechanical engineer, can speak about the detail of each historical tractor in the visitor center. But he’s most excited to talk about the ones currently being made.
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Forty percent of the Magnum tractors that roll off the assembly line will be used on American farms. The remaining inventory is sold worldwide, mostly in Europe.
CNH (which has been named a variety of brands including Case IH) has been around for 184 of this country’s 250 years. It’s one of hundreds of Wisconsin companies whose growth has evolved over time, and have successfully adapted to changing needs.
Harley-Davidson, Generac, Evinrude, Master Lock are all examples of Wisconsin businesses that have had a profound impact on American life.
Dig deeper:
Another is Johnson Controls, which was started by Warren Johnson in 1885. Johnson was a professor at a college in Whitewater and noticed the janitor appeared in the room several times a day to check on the temperature of the room. He would then return to the basement to either make the classrooms warmer or cooler depending on need. Johnson found this to be extremely inefficient and devised a way to let the janitor know when more or less heat was needed.
The technology used in Johnson's patent is the reason hotel rooms, homes and offices have individual thermostats. The invention was revolutionary and today, Johnson Controls is an international leader in smart buildings. Whatever can be done to make temperatures, lights, ventilation and security more comfortable and efficient, Johnson Controls is working on it.
Historian's perspective
What they're saying:
Milwaukee historian John Gurda says Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin have made contributions to American life that take a backseat to no one.
"We were legitimately a big deal, we were a world-class industry. There were tens of thousands of jobs in the Menomonee River Valley," Gurda said.
John Gurda
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From tanneries to breweries, from insurance pioneers like Northwestern Mutual, to heavy industrial manufacturers like A.O. Smith, the history of America would look much different without the contributions from the Badger State.
The Source: Information in this post was gathered with help from CNH, Johnson Controls and historian John Gurda.