Our History
1905
Founded in 1905, Semler Industries was located at the corner of Kedzie and Carroll Avenues in Chicago, originally called Metal Specialties Manufacturing Company. The company sold buggy whip holders for horse and buggies. During this time, Metal Specialties owned and operated a concession at what is now known as Wrigley Field. For a nickel, a spectator could sit comfortable on a seat and enjoy a baseball game.
Then during the First World War, the company began manufacturing war materials; particularly, shell casings. Once the war was over, they began to manufacture a variety of metal products and other products such as gummed sealing tape. At the time, this was the latest advancement in advertising print, allowing store owners to advertise their establishment on the printed tape. The water-soluble gummed tape would be used to seal brown bags of sugar, coffee, or flour.
1920
In the late 1920s, the company began to produce paint spray guns, a small vacuum cleaner, or other products for automobiles. There was an emphasis on flash marketed automotive products, so the company also made the first dashboard mounted cigar lighter, stop signal switches, under the hood electric engine heaters, visors, engine lights, head and tail lamps, and sockets. These products were sold to automakers like Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, and Oldsmobile and for some long out of production cars such as the Auburn, Hudson, Nash, Stutz, Willys-Knight, and Wolverine.
1933
Loren H. Semler, Sr. purchased Metal Specialties Manufacturing Company in 1933. Then in 1939 the company introduced the Presto line of small pocket and desk size staplers. This was during the height of the Great Depression and the company had been losing money up until this point but they turned things around with the introduction of these office products. This led to a merger with a company with similar capabilities in the 1940’s and the company name changed to Loren Specialty Manufacturing Company Inc.
1940
With World War II, Loren Specialty Manufacturing Company was 100% under government contract to make materials for the war. One of the company’s projects was the E-S Machine Gun Synchronizer, which timed the firing of machine gun bullets between the spinning propeller blades on aircraft. The company also manufactured the 50-caliber machine gun recoil mechanisms for when aircraft guns were wing-mounted. Other products included nose cones for shells, booby traps, and distress signals for the Navy.
Once the war ended, the company resumed manufacturing the Presto line of office products: paper punches, staplers, staple removers, and card files.
1973
The first Potable Water Cabinets (PWCs) were designed and sold to United Airlines. The design was later enhanced in the late 80s when Semler supplied 97 cabinets for the ORD United Airlines terminal expansion. Our PWC is still being sold today and remains as the leader in the ground support industry all over the world.
1982
2011
With the EPA’s introduction of stricter diesel emission regulations in 2010, diesel exhaust fluid infrastructure was beginning to take hold throughout the country and world. In 2011 Semler began offering DEF equipment and the DEF-Distributor™ product line was born.
2012
In 2012, Semler introduces the PetroPolisher™ line of equipment; these systems are designed to remove water and debris from fuel storage tanks for fuels used in any and all applications.
2018
As the Functional Engine Fluid group expanded into offering more product lines, our EZ-BlendTM product line grew as well. These custom blending systems for engine fluids and fuels, including biodiesel and ethanol, are ideal for industry producers.
