Andersens build lumber business into diverse holding company

Founded in 1903 by Danish immigrant Hans Andersen, his wife Sarah, and children Herbert, Fred and Mary, the Andersen Lumber Co. got its start in Hudson, Wis. The location enabled Hans and his family to use the logs arriving via the St. Croix River to make wood windows and doors. Andersen is credited with streamlining the window construction process by standardizing the sizes of frame pieces so windows could be assembled at home sites in less than 10 minutes.

The company expanded rapidly and moved to a larger location in south Stillwater in 1913. The area became the city of Bayport in 1922, and still serves as the headquarters of Andersen Corp. (the company changed its name in 1929).

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