HOUSTON (Sept. 10, 2014) – Waukesha-Pearce Industries (WPI), led by four generations of the Pearce family, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.
In 1924, Louis M. Pearce Sr. was seven years into his business career in the oil service industry as president of Houston-based Texas Iron Works (TIW) when he created the Portable Rotary Rig Company, which built drill rigs powered by steam. In 1933, he acquired the Waukesha engine distributorship for his drill rig company. Pearce and his son, Louis M. Pearce Jr., who joined the company after service in World War II, grew the business through several name changes and company directions. Waukesha Pearce Industries (WPI) was formed in 1967 with the merger of its two operating divisions, Waukesha Sales and Service and Pearce Equipment Company.
Today, WPI focuses on construction machinery and engine solutions across multiple applications and industries. WPI’s markets include earthmoving to mining on the construction machinery side and gas compression to power generation in its engine division.
WPI works in partnership with many of the most recognized names in the industry, including GE, Komatsu, Kohler and Generac. The company employs 800 across the U.S.
“What makes us a strong partner is that we’ve been at this a long time,” said Louis Pearce III, president of WPI. “We’re in our 90th year in business, so we know what it takes to support a very diversified customer base as well as being a good partner to our stakeholders.”
WPI and TIW, the operating business units of Pearce Industries Inc., provide a single source for highly trained experts in the oil and gas industry who know every step of the production process and can provide solutions for a multitude of applications across customized equipment from trusted manufacturers.
“There is a great new wave of opportunity in the oil and gas patch,” said fourth generation family member Louis Pearce IV, WPI OEM business development manager. “The industry is rapidly changing, and being right in the center of that with WPI is exciting for us.”
Since 1924, WPI has partnered with manufacturers to provide equipment and service solutions across a multitude of applications. WPI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pearce Industries, Inc.