Robert P. McCulloch

Robert Paxton McCulloch (May 11, 1911 in St. Louis, Missouri, † February 25, 1977 in Los Angeles, California ) was an American entrepreneur. He became known as a manufacturer of McCulloch Chainsaws and with the acquisition of London Bridge, which he had set up in the city he founded, Lake Havasu City, Arizona, again.

Biography

His grandfather, John I. Beggs, the family fortune founded by the worldwide establishment of Thomas Edison's electric power plants in cities, through the production of trams and as founder of the city of Milwaukee works. McCulloch inherited jointly with his two siblings the assets of his grandfather in 1925.

McCulloch is a graduate of Stanford University. He married Barbra Ann Briggs, whose father Stephen Foster Briggs of Briggs & Stratton was. His first engagement as an entrepreneur was McCulloch Engineering Company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There he made ​​racing cars and compressors. In the early 1930s, he sold the company for 1 million U.S. dollars to BorgWarner.

McCulloch then started McCulloch Aviation, the company whose company he renamed in McCulloch Motors Corporation in 1946. The company produced small Verbrennungungsmotoren.

Chainsaws

McCulloch has established itself in the niche market for chain saws. The first chainsaw that bore his name, was established in the year 1948. It was used for felling trees, but also to herauszusägen large blocks of ice from frozen lakes. The following year, McCulloch revolutionized the market with the first light one-man chainsaw.

In the 1950s he founded the McCulloch Oil Corporation, which dealt with the oil and gas exploration and development of land and geothermal energy.

Despite the market leading position of its competitor Evinrude McCulloch Motors deals in the next decade continues with boat engines. The search for a suitable test site led him to Lake Havasu. McCulloch purchased 14 square kilometers of land on the shore at the Pittsburgh Point. In 1963, he bought a hitherto undeveloped piece of desert, the Lake Havasu City should be later. At this time this was the largest ever single purchase of land in Arizona. The cost per acre amounted to less than 75 U.S. dollars.

To initiate the growth of the newly founded city, McCulloch opened in 1964, there is a plant for the production of chainsaws. Therefrom were three works with about 400 employees within two years.

Today, the McCulloch brand, sold under the next chainsaws and other power equipment for the garden belongs to the Swedish Husqvarna Group.

Acquisition of London Bridge

In 1968, McCulloch was searching for a unique attraction for his city, which took him to London. In the early 1960s it became clear that the 1831 by John Rennie Senior built London Bridge would slowly sink into the Thames. The city council of London had decided that a new bridge should be built. Instead of the existing bridge to demolish, it was decided to auction them.

As McCulloch placed his bid for the auction, he doubled the estimated cost of a demolition of the building, which would have amounted to 1.2 million U.S. dollars. This resulted in the price of 2.4 million U.S. dollars. For this purpose, he added $ 60,000, one thousand doller for each year of his age to the estimated date on which the bridge would be rebuilt. This commandment brought him to the bid; there were hardly any bidders.

It took three years before the project was completed. The building was dismantled piece by piece, each part was marked. The granite blocks were initially stored at the Surrey Commercial Docks, and then shipped via the Panama Canal to Long Beach ( California). From there they were transported by truck more about 500 kilometers across the street. The bridge was built exactly according to the numbered markers again. Desert sand was piled up under the arches of the bridge, to support them during construction.

The reconstructed attraction was officially inaugurated on October 10, 1971 with a grand celebration, attended by the Lord Mayor of London took part.

With the acquisition of the bridge McCulloch accelerated his development plan by increasing the number of flights into the city. At this time, the airport was situated on an island. The free flights to Lake Havasu lasted until 1978. It has been reported that at this time held a total of 2,702 flights, with whom 37,000 potential buyers were flown.

A popular rumor has it that McCulloch mistakenly assumed he would buy the much more impressive Tower Bridge. The London Council in its time operated an intensive marketing to offer the London Bridge internationally for purchase. Ivan Luckin, who ran as a councilor selling the bridge, has always stressed that he had negotiated honest.

World Records

  • World Largest Antique - The London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, Arizona
  • World's largest fountain - Fountain Hills, Arizona

Start-ups

  • McCulloch Motors Corporation
  • McCulloch Aircraft Corporation
  • McCulloch Oil
  • McCulloch Properties
  • Paxton Automotive

City ​​foundations

  • Lake Havasu City, Arizona
  • Fountain Hills, Arizona
  • Pueblo West, Colorado
  • Spring Creek, Nevada

Swell

  • History of McCulloch Oil Corp..
  • History of Lake Havasu
  • The story of McCulloch
Husqvarna AB John Rennie the Elder London Bridge (Lake Havasu City) Long Beach, California
687797
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