During WWII desert tank warfare, it was discovered that a single bullet to the radiator of a British tank would render it completely and utterly disabled. The solution was a simple one: A British-designed radiator that featured individual cooling tubes held in the radiator headers by individual rubber seals.
Simple, right?
Right.
The seals allowed damaged tubes to be replaced in the field, very often without removing the entire radiator from the tank. The seals also had the benefit of absorbing vibration pounding and thermal shock that would cause conventional radiators to leak.
And so the Allies won the war, so on and so forth.
After WWII ended, Rolls-Royce motor cars and commercial vehicles were equipped with these same radiators. In the early 1950s, the radiator core first appeared on haul trucks in Canadian ore mines in Labrador. Then, in 1957, L&M Radiator acquired the rights and began making radiators right here in Minnesota (History).
The company was founded in Hibbing in 1957 by George Langer and Clay Murray (the “L” and “M” in the company name. They have been producing radiators and heat exchangers ever since, with plants in Hibbing and Yankton, S.D., as well as facilities in Perth, Australia, Antofagasta, Chile, and Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The company has also added 100 U.S. jobs so far this year, and has an annual payroll of more than $8.5 million.
Dan Chisholm, current president of L&M Radiator, is the third generation of the family to run the company.
And now, the company is planning to grow again, with a $17.6 million investment and the hiring of 22 new workers.
The company designs and manufactures other cooling equipment for heavy machinery other than radiators. They will add 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space to its existing facility in Hibbing, and all new entry-level jobs will pay an average of $15.86 per hour.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is supporting the project with a $354,000 grant from the Job Creation Fund. The company will receive the funding after it has met its hiring and investment commitments.
Former Lt Governor Tina Smith had the following to say back in November “I thank L&M Radiator for their continued commitment to the Iron Range and the state of Minnesota. This expansion will create good jobs for Minnesota workers and support efforts to diversify the Range economy. Expansions like this one highlight the benefits of public-private collaborations to grow jobs and create opportunity for workers and families in every corner of Minnesota.”
Commissioner of DEED, Shawntera Hardy echoed those statements: “L&M Radiator is a rapidly growing company that employs 450 people worldwide, including 215 design, engineering, sales, customer service and administrative professionals at its Hibbing headquarters. We’re happy to see this family-owned business bringing additional jobs and investment to the community.”
