SPOTLIGHT | story and photos: Wyatt Olson
80 YEARS OF GERLINGER STEEL Anyone who has driven through downtown Redding has likely noticed the large red sign emblazoned with, “Gerlinger Steel and Supply,” but few realize that inside those retro brick buildings operates one of the oldest companies in Redding. Gerlinger Steel opened 80 years ago and has been involved with some of the most groundbreaking and important construction projects in Northern California, such as Shasta Dam, Keswick Dam, Interstate 5 and more. Fred Gerlinger Sr. and his son, E.E. “Bert” Gerlinger, founded this landmark Redding business as Gerlinger Foundry and Machine Works in 1929. The poor health of Fred’s wife encouraged the family
to move from Salem, Ore., shortly before this. They came for the hot, dry climate in hopes that it would help bring her back to good health. “It must have worked because she lived to be nearly 100 years old,” says current company president Fred Gerlinger, Bert’s son. The early 1930s were not an easy time for anyone, and for Gerlinger, cash was short. According to Fred Gerlinger, Bert was once in danger of not making payroll back then because a customer owed him money. Turns out that this customer had the same problem as Bert his client hadn’t paid yet. Being insistent, Bert went to his customer’s customer and got the same story. “So he kept following the trail, October 2009 Enjoy 50