Waterous Surges Into 125th Year in Business
South St. Paul fire pump manufacturer Waterous has been a leader in fire suppression products since 1886.
The year was 1886. Karl Benz patented the world’s first gasoline-fueled automobile in Germany. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. And The Waterous Engine Works Company of Minnesota set up shop in South St. Paul.
Take a close look at any fire hydrant in Minnesota and you’ll likely see “WATEROUS” stamped across it. Founded by Charles H. Waterous and first operated by his twin sons Frank and Fred Waterous, the fire pump manufacturer is among only 20 U.S. companies started in 1886 that still exist in the same capacity today. Coca-Cola, Avon and Sears help round out the list.
In the 125 years since its establishment, Waterous has expanded from its Minnesota roots, selling fire pumps, hydrants and other firefighting products to countries throughout the world and staffing representatives in England and Australia. Even its website caters to an international customer base, offering content in 11 different languages.
Mark Severin, communications marketing manager, attributes Waterous’ worldwide success to its enduring products.
“Since we’ve been around the longest, the name recognition is there and customers know the quality of the product that they’re getting,” Severin says.
The company name is also associated with its ongoing dedication to innovation. It was the first manufacturer to create a horse-drawn fire engine, and in 1898, the first to switch from making steam powered to gasoline-powered fire pumps. In the 1970s, the company’s development of a silent drive chain transmission, which connects a fire pump to a fire truck’s transmission and allows it to run, provided a smooth running alternative to the noisy gear transmissions in use at the time.
In the mid-1990s, Waterous helped popularize the use of compressed air foam as a firefighting agent with multiple generations of mid-ship and motor pumps, which were among the first all-in-one compressed air foam system (CAFS) units. Its Eclipse™ CAFSystem and the Advantus® and Aquis™ foam proportioning systems in 2006 and 2007 have brought CAFS to the forefront of firefighting technologies.
Though the flagging housing market has put a damper on fire hydrant sales, Severin says other product sales are up, and is optimistic that Waterous will enjoy continued growth for the company this year.
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