A Quick History of Cummins

Written by Cummins Inc. : From The Republic newspaper insert “Cummins Technical Center – 50 Years of Innovation,” Oct. 5, 2017

Clessie Lyle Cummins built his first steam engine at the age of 11 in rural Indiana. Passionate about engines, he left his family’s farm as a young man and began working as a mechanic to support himself.

In 1911, Ray Harroun, a race car driver who learned of Cummins’ reputation, asked him to join his pit crew for a local auto race. Cummins made some suggestions to help improve speed, and that car won the first-ever Indianapolis 500.

In 1919, with backing from banker William G. Irwin, Cummins founded Cummins Engine Co. in Columbus. Together, the two men built a company that was one of the first to take advantage of the groundbreaking technology developed by German engineer Rudolf Diesel in the late 1800s. Within three years, the company had earned its first profit; in three more, it offered the industry’s first 100,000- mile warranty.

In the years that followed, Clessie Cummins’ passion for quality and reliability, guided by the visionary leadership of Irwin’s great-nephew, J. Irwin Miller, helped Cummins Engine Co. grow rapidly. Miller became general manager in 1934 and went on to lead the company to international prominence over the next four decades. Within three years, the company had earned its first profit; in three more, it offered the industry’s first 100,000-mile warranty.

Pen and ink drawing by Guglielmo Botter

In 1954, Miller established the Cummins Foundation, and three years later it offered to pay architect’s fees for construction of new public buildings — leading to designs by leading architects from around the world gracing the streets of Columbus.

Beyond Cummins, Miller was renowned for his insight, wisdom and humor among his contemporaries. In a 1968 profile, Esquire speculated on a possible presidential bid, saying “Is it too late for a man of honesty, high purpose and intelligence to be elected president of the United States in 1968?”

In 1956, under Miller’s leadership, the company had opened a manufacturing facility in Scotland. By the 1960s, Cummins had a presence in 98 countries. This global presence has been key to growth; in the past three years, half of the company’s sales have been from outside the United States. For instance, Cummins has a headquarters in Beijing, where the company is the largest foreign investor in China’s diesel engine sector, with more than 9,000 employees and $3 billion in sales.

Today, Cummins Inc. is a multinational Fortune 500 company, serving customers worldwide in the areas of engines, power generation, components and distribution. Although we now have approximately 54,600 employees worldwide, we still remain true to our Indiana roots and to the vision of two outstanding individuals. — Cummins Inc