History
of LUPPEN and HAWLEY, INC.
Since 1920 Luppen and Hawley, Inc. has been making Sacramento
a more comfortable and healthy place to live and work. In addition, it is one of the
oldest family businesses in the region The roots of
the company go back to World War 1, when Luppe B. Luppen and John B. Hawley, a pair of
midwesterners, decided to start a business together. They were graduates of the University
of Illinois School of Architecture and worked together as engineers for the Division of
Architecture of the State of California.
In 1920, the two went into business as mechanical
contractors, continuing in the same field of construction work they'd been supervising for
the state. Mechanical contracting involved plumbing, piping, steam heating, forced air
heating, and air conditioning. The firm has the distinction of being one of the oldest
Carrier air conditioning dealers in the country.
Luppen and Hawley's original office was located on 906 7th
St., right across the street from the Sacramento Bee. It was a small commercial office on
the ground floor of an apartment building. Five years later, in 1925, they moved to larger
quarters near Alhambra Blvd. and J street, where their business flourished for the next 47
years. They were right next door to the glamorous Alhambra Theatre, an air conditioned
mecca for movie goers, Movie theaters were among the pioneer institutions to provide air
conditioning as an essential draw for their customers. An hour or two in the coolness may
have inspired many viewers to become Luppen and Hawley customers.
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Luppen & Hawley,
Inc.
Alhambra & J St. location |
After the move to the Alhambra & J St. location, the
company also entered the field of electrical contracting. As part of this new aspect of
the business, the partners hired J. D. O'Connor, the future owner of the company. Mr.
O'Connor headed the electrical department and in 1933, became part owner of the company.
After Mr. Luppen's retirement, the remaining partners were Mr. A. V. Taylor and Mr. J. B.
Hawley. Mr. Hawley went on to become the president of the Master Plumbers of America and
Mr. O'Connor served as Western States Vice President of the National Electrical
Contractors Association.
Through the years, Luppen and Hawley, Inc. has continued to
perform a variety of services, offering whatever their customers needed in mechanical and
electrical services. One job that stands out is the Campbell's Soup Plant. In 1947, the
company was selected to install all the plumbing, mechanical & electrical work on the
new plant being built at their present site on Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento. The work
required over 200 trades people involving plumbers, pipefitters and electricians. The work
was completed in approximately 18 months and at that time was the largest industrial plant
built in the Sacramento Valley.
In 1954, Mr. O'Connor became the sole owner of the business
but kept the Luppen and Hawley, Inc. name due to its excellent reputation. In time, Mr.
O'Connor was joined by his three sons Delbert, Laurence, and Kenneth who succeeded him in
continuing the business. In 1972, the company moved to its present 5 acre site at 7400 14th. Ave.
The business employs a combination of old fashioned skill
and new technology, using computerized equipment for a range of specialized tasks from the
manufacturing of sheet metal ducts to pricing and job estimates.
The O'Connors credit their long term success of the company
to their many loyal office staff employees and a skilled union trained work force.
Recently, the company celebrated the retirement of four people who each worked over 40
years with the company.
In the years since 1920, Luppen and Hawley, Inc. has grown
with Sacramento while it has helped Sacramento grow. A third generation of O'Connors' is
now working in the company. The family tradition of quality and service are going strong
as the company grows toward its own centennial in 2020. |
