The Cramer Manufacturing Co. of Milwaukee was established in 1919 by Robert Cramer, and was formally organized in 1921 when they acquired the Milwaukee Circulating Pump Company from the Milwaukee Shaper Co. With this acquisition the Cramer company became manufacturers of oil pumps and water pumps for automobiles. By 1924 the business had been acquired by their factory superintendent, Gothard Gebhardt Hein, who in that year renamed it to the Milwaukee Circulating Pump and Manufacturing Co. During the 1920s they introduced a line of small grinders for sharpening sickles and mowers—a type of product Hein was already familiar with, having been a foreman at the American Grinder & Specialty Corp. between 1916 and 1919. In 1929 this grinder line was sold to the American Grinder & Specialty Corp.

In about 1929 Richard W. Werner became a partner in the business, which was renamed to the Hein-Werner Motor Parts Co. and relocated to a new factory building at 1200 National Avenue in Waukesha. Werner became sales manager of the business, and Hein became president and general manager.

The Great Depression caused a reduction in auto sales which in turn hurt the Hein-Werner Motor Parts Co., but the company invested resources into developing hydraulic jacks, including automobile floor jacks and bottle jacks for more general-purpose use. The hydraulic jacks were a success and the company was well positioned to take advantage of the upswing in auto sales beginning in the mid-1930s.

There was a falling-out between Messrs. Hein and Werner that culminated in a 1943 lawsuit, Werner v. Hein-Werner Motor Parts Corporation. Werner seems to have parted ways with the business a few years before. The lawsuit alleged that the Hein-Werner company was infringing on one of Werner's patents; Hein-Werner won the case. By the time of the lawsuit Werner was living in Atlanta and selling steel scaffolding.

During World War II the company manufactured hydraulic components for the war effort. A series of plant expansions gave them 116,000 square feet of factory space by 1947. Early in that year the company name changed to Hein-Werner Corp. By the 1950s they claimed to be the largest hydraulic jack manufacturer in the world. Hein died of a heart attack in 1957, age 70.

In 1962 Hein-Werner introduced a line of hydraulically operated construction equipment. They made backhoes and excavators until 1981 when the operations were acquired by AB Åkermans Gjuteri & Mekaniska Verkstad, which continued manufacturing in Waukesha for some years.

Information Sources

• 1921-06-05 Oil News, page 58.

  The Milwaukee Circulating Pump Company, manufacturers of circulating oil pumps, which has been a subsidiary of the Milwaukee Shaper Company, has now been acquired by the Cramer Mfg. Co., of Milwaukee. The Cramer Mfg . Co. is a new corporation, capitalized at. $50,000. Officers of the new corporation are W. L. F. Graf, president; Robert Cramer, vice president and general manager, and W. E. Graf, secretary and treasurer.

• October 1921 Automobile Trade Directory, page 142, has an ad for the "Milwaukee Circular Water Pump for Ford cars and trucks", from Cramer Manufacturing Co. / 387-9 Tenth St., Milwaukee.
• January 1922 Mill Supplies (Volume XII page 71).

  The Cramer Manufacturing Co., 387 Tenth street, Milwaukee,Wis.,manufacturer of pumps and other automotive equipment, has increased its capital stock from $25,000 to $50,000, preparatory to enlarging its business. Robert Cramer is vice-president and manager.

• 1924-05-29 Motor Age, page 42.

  New Name for Pump Company
  Milwaukee, May 26.—The Milwaukee Circulating Pump Manufacturing Co. is the new style of the organization formerly known as the Cramer Manufacturing Co. An announcement of the change says it is desired to have the name more representative of the company's product.

• 1924-05-08 American Machinist, page 716g.

  The Cramer Manufacturing Co., 387-389 Tenth St., Milwaukee, has changed its title to Milwaukee Circulating Pump & Manufacturing Co., to better designate the character of its principal business, that of manufacturing auxiliary pumping systems for Ford cars and a general line of pumps and equipment.

• 1927 Farm Implement News Buyer's Guide lists Milwaukee Circulating Pump & Mfg. Co., 331 9th St., Milwaukee, Wis., as providers of Knife and Sickle Grinders (Mower).
• 1932 issue of Automotive Industries (Volume 66 page 202).

  Hein-Werner Inquries UpWaukesha, Wis., Feb. 1—The Hein-Werner Motor Parts Corp. reports inquiries increasingly satisfactory, with good deman, particularly from the motor truck industry, for hydraulic jacks for original equipment. The Hein-Werner line includes 23 new models, ranging from a 1½-ton model to 30-ton capacity, according to Richard W. Werner, sales manager.

• 1940 issue of Bus Transportation (Volume 19, page 159).

  Hein-Werner Motor Parts Corp at Waukesha, Wis., announce that 1939 was biggest year in company's history. Sales were up one-third over 1938, even though 1938 sales were 40 per cent ahead of 1937. Company manufactures Hein-Werner hydraulic jacks, oil and water pumps, gears and screw machine products. Company reports sales of hundreds of thousands of jacks during 1939 and with addition of three new models to line. 1940 sales are expected to top last year's business by one-third.

• 1941 Who's Who in Transportation and Communication, page 323.

  Hein, Gothardt Gebhardt, executive; b. Germany, 27 Aug. 1886; s. Gottlieb Hein and Augusta (Hein) H.; came to U.S. 1892; naturalized 1919; ed. parochial sch.; m. Olga Augusta Ewert of Chicago, Ill., 28 June 1911; children—Alice (Mrs. Karl Pfachler), Irene (Mrs. Harvey Shoemaker). Foreman, Am. Grinder Mfg. Co., Milwaukee , Wis., 1916-19; founder Hein-Werner Motor Parts Corp. (formerly Milwaukee Circulating Pump & Mfg. Co., Cramer Mfg. Co., and Milwaukee Circulating Pump Co.), 1919, factory supt. and mgr., 1919-29, pres., gen. mgr., 1929-; v.p., Industrial Clutch Co.; invented several hydraulic jacks; mem. B.P.O.E. Club; Kiwanis. Recreations: poker, golf. Mem. Washington Park English Lutheran Ch. of Milwaukee. Office: 1200 National Av., Milwaukee, Wis. Home: 104 Windsor Drive, Milwaukee, Wis.

• 1943 lawsuit Werner v. Hein-Werner Motor Parts Corporation, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. We have not been able to view any paperwork associated with this suit.
• March 1947 Securities Traded on Exchanges Under the Securities Exchange Act, Supplement No. 3, "Changes during March 1947", page 2: "Hein Werner Motor Parts Corp / name changed to / Hein Werner Corporation".
• 1961 Perkins V. Waukesha National Bank, pages 88-90. "Plaintiff's Exhibit No. 42 is a certified copy of the articles of incorporation and all amendments of Hein-Werner Corporation. It shows that Cramer Manufacturing Company was organized on April 16,1921; that the corporation name was changed to Milwaukee Circulating Pump and Manufacturing Company on April 18, 1924; that the name was changed to Hein-Werner Motor Parts Corporation on May 22,1929;that on October 14,1936 the whole number of shares of stock of the corporation issued and outstanding was 5900 shares ;that on October 27,1936 the articles were amended to provide that the capital stock of the corporation shall be $300,000.00 represented by 100,000 shares of stock,each of the par value of $3 per share,all of said stock being common stock; and that the name was changed to Hein-Werner Corporation on March 7, 1947."
• 1993 Directory of Corporate Name Changes, page 83: "Cramer Manufacturing Co. to Milwaukee Circulating Pump & Manufacturing Co. to Hein-Werner Motor Parts Corp 1929 to Hein-Werner Corp 25 Feb 47".
• Findagrave.com page on Gothard G. Hein (1886-1957).