Active Radiator history

In 1946 A. B. Modine gave up his post as president and became chair of the board.

In 1958, a smaller, more efficient prototype radiator helped Modine Manufacturing secure a contract to become the sole supplier of radiators for the new Ford Falcon.

At the end of 1961 A. B. Modine retired from active service with the company he founded, although he remained on the corporate board as a director.

That expansion was led by E. G. Rutherford, who became president in 1963.

In 1969 Modine Manufacturing received a patent for its Flora-Guard unit heater for greenhouses.

In 1974 E. E. Richter was named president and Rutherford began a short stint as chair, before dying unexpectedly the following year and leaving the position vacant.

In 1979, with nearly half of Modine's sales volume going to Ford, the major auto maker decided to begin making its own light-truck radiators--which represented nearly 20 percent of Modine's product volume then.

In 1980 the company made its first aftermarket acquisition, Lake Auto Radiator Manufacturing Company, and entered the market for replacement radiator cores.

In 1983 the Canadian venture, Ontario Limited, became the company's first wholly owned non-United States facility.

The company received a patent on its Beta-Weld technology in 1985 and the following year Modine introduced and received several patents for its PF (parallel flow) family of products.

In 1987, Active opened a manufacturing facility in Philadelphia, PA.

By 1988, when Modine acquired NAYCO Distributors, Inc., Modine's replacement radiator and radiator core businesses were the fastest growing markets for the company, representing a third of sales volume.

In February, 1989, Richter was named chair and Savage became president and chief operating officer.

In 1991 Savage assumed the additional duties of chief executive officer when Richter retired from active employment after 44 years with Modine.

Modine filed an appeal and, in November 1992, with that appeal still pending, the company announced it had licensed its PF condensers to a third Japanese firm, Nippondenso Company Ltd., a major competitor of Showa Aluminum.