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Egge History Part One
The Early Years
Founded by Edward N. Egge (known as E.N. by his friends) in Plainview, Texas in 1915 selling, servicing and repairing Mason racing cars. The small automotive machine shop did more than just replace engine parts on vehicles of the day; it made new parts when necessary. Because of limited availability and no automotive aftermarket, replacement parts - especially pistons - were constantly in short supply and difficult to get.  Egge solved both problems by making his own aluminum pistons using the sand-cast process. This commitment to his customers' needs enabled him to meet the demand and keep his business growing.
The "Roaring Twenties" found Egge relocating his repair operation to the west coast. In 1923 Egge Machine Company moved to downtown Los Angeles, CA. Egge continued to service the cars, and trucks of a growing California population. The citrus boom was at it's peak and Egge grew to include tractor motor parts* in an effort to keep up with the changing times.
In the 1940's E.N.'s son; Nels began designing building and utilizing steel molds in conjunction with sand casting pistons the company had employed years earlier. The steel molds boosted the quality and throughput of manufacturing as well as increasing the vehicle models and years.
"During WWII aluminum was scarce and Egge couldn't make pistons. Dad supported the war effort by making brass and steel fittings for the military. Perhaps the biggest step in growing the business in the late 1940s was when Dad learned to make piston molds using hot-rolled steel," remembers Bob Egge (son of Nels), "We began the transition from sand casting to permanent mold casting, which was a huge step for Egge."
The post-war era saw another area of growth with providing parts for Indian and Harley Davidson motorcycles*. Basically, if your vehicle had a combustion engine, Egge had the parts to keep it running. "Hot Rodding" also became popular at this time and Egge was a quiet resource for the speed shops of the era.
Next month learn more about Egge's growth as a World Class Manufacturing Facility.
(*Note: tractor and motorcycle parts are no longer available)
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