History

Our Philosophy:

The old adage... "There's strength in numbers" was never more accurate than in today's tough business climate.

This is especially true in the HVAC industry. Monroe Equipment, Inc., a HVAC wholesaler, succeeds by partnering with the more qualified heating and cooling dealers.

Monroe strongly supports its dealers and believes that together, as a team, we will have the resources and critical strength needed to successfully meet the heating and air conditioning needs of Wisconsin home owners.

Monroe Equipment: A Self-Made Company
Excerpted from Successful Builder of Wisconsin, May, 1995
Most men and women who raised children during the Great Depression are no longer alive to share stories of how extremely difficult and unfortunate the times were. But the children who grew up during one of our nation's worst times in history can vividly recall the difficulties they faced. Many of these kids, in fact, seem to have used their memories of the bad times to motivate themselves in working toward a better life -- a life filled with success and good fortune not only for themselves, but for those around them. Such is the case with Claude Grieger, president and owner of Monroe Equipment.

Born in 1927, Claude Grieger and his family moved to Whitefish Bay when he was just five years old. At the age of 17, Grieger, like many of his classmates, joined the military to support the nation's wartime effort. His Navy training included studies in engineering at Central Michigan College and Iowa State University. But when the war ended, Grieger, like many of his fellow enlistees, opted to conclude his tour of duty and finish his studies at the University of Wisconsin Madison with the aid of the GI Bill. Without this opportunity, he could not have completed his education.

With a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Grieger took his first job with Mueller Climatrol, a company he refers to as "a grand old name in the Milwaukee market." As an engineer, he tested furnaces to ensure compliance with American Gas Association standards. Later, he moved into sales.

After nine years with Mueller, Grieger joined a local heating contractor, eventually becoming the firm's vice president. He later became a manufacturer's representative at a time when many of the Milwaukee area's largest companies were converting coal and oil-fired boilers to gas. Ultimately, Grieger moved into a sales position for Armstrong Furnace Company with responsibility for five Midwestern states.

In 1966, after befriending the owner of a local firm (then known as Monroe Engineering), Grieger became the company's sole employee. At that time, Monroe's only product was gas conversion burners. But because most people were then converting their furnaces, the company became a highly successful business. Grieger recalls a period of time when back orders totaled more than 2,000 burners.

Over time, under the leadership of Claude Grieger, Monroe added several new products and significantly improved its position in the marketplace. In 1969, the owner rewarded Grieger for his efforets by selling him the company. Grieger again expanded by adding the Armstrong line of furnaces and changed the company's name to Monroe Equipment, Inc. "In the early years of my career, many people questioned whether or not I could hold a job," Grieger says with a smile spreading across his face, "in essence, I had served a 20-year apprenticeship--gaining experience from one end of the business to the other."

Grieger contributes much of Monroe's early success to his unique approach to working with contractors. "There were obviously other companies selling conversion burners at the time," he states, "but what I did was traveled and worked with gas utilities. Then, I held seminars to teach contractors how to convert from oil or coal to gas. So it was the teaching process that helped me sell. By learning, everyone benefited, including my company, the utility, the contractor, and the consumer." Education is, in fact, power, say Grieger, and he carries this philosophy with him today.