What started as a small gas station on July 1, 1975, has become part of the world’s largest fire apparatus manufacturing company.
Harold and Helen Boer began this 40-year journey when they purchased a local gas station, Lyons Garage, for $12,500 in Lyons, SD, at the ages of 22 and 20. From 1975 to 1983, Harold manufactured and fixed a wide range of farm equipment, while Helen worked in the gas station tending the cash register and kept the financial books for the business.
In 1977 the Lyons Fire Department was formed, and Harold was tasked to build its first piece of fire apparatus from an old army truck. Manufacturing work steadily increased over the years, and more area departments sought service from the Lyons Garage. Then, in December of 1982, Lyons Garage became Central States Fire Apparatus. They had one dealer, Heiman Fire Equipment; two employees, Harold and Helen; and a sales goal of four units for 1983. Their first official fire truck was built for Tea, SD in 1983, and 11 more units followed that first year.
Then, in 1998 Central States Fire Apparatus joined with General Safety in Minnesota and Rosenbauer International of Austria to create Rosenbauer America. Two years later, RK Aerials of Nebraska joined the merger, and Rosenbauer America was complete. The divisions were later renamed Rosenbauer South Dakota, Rosenbauer Minnesota, Rosenbauer Aerials and Rosenbauer Motors – part of the Minnesota campus.
Today, Rosenbauer South Dakota manufactures 800 trucks per year and employs 303 team members, a vast jump from the no more than 20 employees that Harold promised Helen in 1983. They have had a front row seat to all of the technological improvements made in the manufacturing industry, from the simplest of welding tools to the most complex automated laser cutting machines. They have gone from rotary-dial party-line phones and type writers, to state-of-the-art computer programming equipment.
Harold and Helen have paved the way for Rosenbauer South Dakota and look forward to the future leaders taking hold of the reigns to keep Rosenbauer America on its upward path. Over the past few years, they have been placing key people in these leadership positions and have decided that the time has come to retire from the day-to-day operations at Rosenbauer South Dakota effective July 1, 2016.
While the day-to-day operations will be passed to the next line of leadership, Harold and Helen will still be very much involved with Rosenbauer America. They will transition into advisory and supportive roles, as well as coordinating group activities among all four U.S. divisions, strategic planning, and assistance in Marketing. In addition, Harold will continue to serve as the President of the Rosenbauer America group, and Helen, as the Executive Secretary of the Rosenbauer America group. Harold will also still be a member of the Rosenbauer International’s executive committee.
Please join us in wishing Harold and Helen all the best in their future plans, which will include a lot of traveling and grandchildren visits.
