Mason Rudd started Rudd Equipment Company in 1952, the same year that Congress authorized the first federal funds for interstate highway construction. At the same time the Michigan Power Shovel Company introduced the first rubber tired loader.
We supplied equipment for the construction of highways, including the one that is 300 feet from our main office in Louisville. In the following years, major funds designated for the highway system changed American life and intensified economic growth. Rudd remains proud of our heritage in supplying equipment for the building of the Interstate System. Our commitment to infrastructure building continues.
Mason Rudd served the Louisville community primarily in the areas of health care and education. He served as longtime chairman of the Louisville Metro Board of Health and the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation. Mason Rudd made significant donations to many community organizations, including to the Jewish Hospital and the University of Louisville.
The Rudd Family name is on the Heart and Lung Center at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville. Mason Rudd also supported the University of Kentucky for many decades.
Mike Rudd continued Mason Rudd’s philanthropic legacy throughout Rudd’s seven state region.
Mike Rudd joined Rudd Equipment Company in August 1975 and became President in 1989. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Mason Rudd, joining the family business after a decade of diverse work experiences, including a role in Washington D.C. during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Returning to Louisville in 1975, Mike became an integral part of the Rudd team. In 1992, he completed the acquisition of the company from the Rudd family.
Throughout his tenure, Mike led the expansion of Rudd by building and opening numerous branches. He established a branch in Evansville, Indiana, in 1977; built a new branch in Corbin in 1979; opened a branch in Prestonsburg in 1982; and, in partnership with Volvo, opened branches in Bridgeport, Charleston, Pittsburgh, and Clearfield in 1986. He further expanded with a new branch in Cincinnati in 2012, followed by Columbus in 2014, and Cleveland in 2021.
Over the past 49 years, Mike’s leadership saw Rudd’s growth into seven states. Despite the company’s expansion, the core values—focusing on Rudd’s people, customers, and communities across those seven states—remained steadfast. In 2023, in an effort to continue to grow the business and provide the best service to our territories Rudd Equipment Company was acquired by Ferronordic, a company that shares Rudd’s core values and has been successful on a global scale.
For more than seven decades, Rudd has cultivated partnerships across industries beyond construction, contributing to the infrastructure and foundation of the country. Today, Rudd proudly serves a broader range of industries and regions, has developed award-winning technical staff, established component rebuild and testing facilities, and operates 13 full-service equipment shops.
1950
Rudd Founded in Louisville, KY. Clark/Michigan, the world’s first rubber-tired loader, was a revolutionary customer solution.
1960
Euclid Rigid Trucks are added to further solve the needs of our customers.
Indianapolis, IN branch opened.
1970
Evansville, IN and Corbin, KY branches are opened.
Drilltech Drills added to diversify our offering.
1980
Hitachi Construction Machinery, LinkBelt Cranes, Tamrock Drills, and Champion Motor Graders added to help us better serve our customers’ needs.
Branches opened in Pittsburgh, PA; Clearfield, PA; Prestonsburg, KY; Ft. Wayne, IN; St. Louis, MO; and Charleston, WV.
Rudd sells the first Hitachi UH-801 Shovel in the United States.
1990
ESCO added to give our customers an option for ground engaging tools and buckets.
Rudd Freight System created.
Euclid and Clark/Michigan are acquired by Volvo Construction Equipment.
2000
Branches added in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland OH as Rudd is named the Volvo Dealer for the entire state of Ohio.
2020
Rudd Equipment Company is acquired by Ferronordic.