While it’s true that the diesel engine was not invented here in America, (it was actually invented in Germany, in 1892, by Rudolph Diesel) patriots can take pride in knowing that this is where it was vastly improved upon. More specifically, it was improved upon in 1919 in a garage owned by a self-taught farmboy-turned-tinkerer named Clessie Lyle Cummins. But, like with most creative types and entrepreneurs, Clessie would’ve had a much tougher go of it had it not been for the foresight, generosity and loads of money from a very wealthy American industrialist named William G. Irwin.
With Clessie’s expertise and Irwin’s cash, these bold business partners were able to start designing and manufacturing high-powered, extremely reliable diesel engines right in the middle of the American Heartland, in Columbus, Indiana. It didn’t take long for the military to take notice. Before they knew it, Clessie and Mr. Irwin were doing their patriotic duty by cranking out military engines for a variety of heavy equipment, including heavy duty Dodge military trucks and all of the field generators used by the Allies on the battlefield, a task that was essential for victory in World War II.
Cummins, in partnership with Dodge, made some of the toughest, most reliable military trucks on the WWII battlefield.
This immense contribution to the cause didn’t go unnoticed by the American public, because when our GIs came home they got right to work building everything from homes to dams and toasters to missiles. These motivated agents of progress needed a way to help pull the load, and Cummins engines were there to answer the call. This meant that not only was America’s post-war economic boom being facilitated by Cummins’ mass-produced power, Cummins itself was creating thousands of blue-collar American jobs, solidifying its reputation for future generations of builders.
After WWII, America experienced an economic boom like the world had never seen.
But it’s been nearly 100 years since Cummins went from a single, brilliant, motivated tinkerer in an Indiana workshop in the early days of diesel, to employing nearly 56,000 people in 197 countries and territories around the globe. Tens of thousands of those employees are right here in the U.S.A., helping to fuel our enormous, highly resilient economy, and driving our unending will to make life better for everyone.
Cummins has a storied history as an American industrial giant.
As if creating thousands of American jobs building a variety of durable heavy-duty equipment wasn’t patriotic enough, Cummins Power Generation has put the icing on the cake by having their standby generators backing up national icons like the Statue of Liberty and Mt. Rushmore. This may seem trivial to the untrained eye, but it goes far beyond just keeping the lights on at a few federal buildings. No, this ensures that our national symbols of freedom and liberty will continue to shine on, even when the power’s out.
In the end, Cummins takes great pride, not just in being proud of this great nation, but in being an integral part of what makes America so amazing.
To learn more about how Cummins Power Generation backs up American communities, go to www.powertohomes.com