Rohr Auburn

Home Page Arkadelphia Arlington Auburn BrownField CapeMay Cerritos Chula Vista Clark Delaware Edgemont Evergreen Fairhope Foley Fresno Fullerton Hagerstown Hamburg Heber Springs Irvine Huntsville Los Angeles Loudonville Mexico Millersburg MiraLoma Richmond San Marcos Sheridan Toulouse Winder Advanced Bibliography Looking For Memorabilia Memorabilia p.2 Salute to Pappy Timeline RC As1953 ADec1955 Amay1957 RMa1960 RMma1961 RMmj1961 RMso1961 RMja1961 RMf1969 RNmidN1982 RNmidFeb83 RNNov1983 Beahan Popplewell RivPhotos RivPhotos2 RROMEO Rohr1982 RNMay1984 RNJuly1984 RNAug1984 RNOct1984 RNMay1985 RNDec1986 RNDec1990 A92543 Riv72354 AA1957 RN101667 Riverside92682 HSER111987 Lynch Kitchen McKenzie GIWMcKenzie GSMcKenzie AJan1953 WPeters Rohr50years Aircraft Antenna Communications Computer Construction Marine Material Postal Rail Space RailTransit Paris Rockville SanDiego WashingtonDC ICarreno MCecena Nutt Lewis ADec1956 RMma62 RMw62 RMs63 RMs64 RMf65 RN62066 RN71866 RN5567 RN81167 RN111067 RMsum69 RN12574 RN22274 RN91578 RNmay84 RNmay93 TSUT91297 TSDUT91397 RMw63 RN111665 RMw68 Rohr Chula Vista 25th Anniversary Guest Book manor JAustin MBolles LBarto RBolles SGutierrez DKitt WKurtz CManuel Warters Wells Wjan45 ADaug46 tfaA51 Aaug57 Ajune52 Aaug57part2 Ajuly1952 Aoct52 Ajune1953 Anov57 Anov57part2 RMspring66 MTS1971 RNjuly71 BTfeb72 PE1974 TSDUT41494 RN12867 RN2268 RN61468 RMf68 RMspring70 Rohr1992 Rohr992 VPClassen WRJordan HVelez RTIPP XR1D RMnd58 RMjf61 RN22161 RMspring68 RMsummer68 RN22069 RN2369 RN22070 RNnov71 RNfeb72 RNjuly72 RNjuly73 21st695 TRC BARTnr RN2775 RN3775 RN4475 RN8178 RN121979 RDrown JNCopeland GFlannagan TSDUT32994 TSDUT42594 TSUT92397 TSUT92397c1 TSDUT92797 TSUT92897 Ajune56 RMsum64 RMf64 RMf66 RMw66 RMsu70 photos warbond1942 RCSPD64 DBessie ECzay CRDoss Evans IHamby CJPoole DRhodes PStevenson RN060569 RMma58 RMjf60 RMma60 RM1q65 RC68part1 RC68part2 Motori72 RIIar76 RN032879 RIIar78 RN83178 RNmay1988 TSDUT42694 JHolomon RLopez PRaney FHRohr BRobinson SSepulveda Witbeck RIVreunion110719 RACar56 Adec57 RMsum66 RRCN1257 RC64ar RRCN1256 Aoct56 Anov56 Afeb57 Amay1957b RMmj58 RMjf59 RMma59 ZReed Houston RMso60 arrc1962 RC67ar RN090368 RMw70 RMw70v19n3 PE012371 RNdec75 RN062077 RN041279 RN052579 RN072480 RN0782 RNmidN83 RNmidMay84 RNmidJune84 RNjun88 RBagley RMsum71 RCMP RN100465 IDagan VGirtman Foster LMatheny RMotl JoeRheim WLWashington Afeb52 A062356 RNaug84 RNsept85 Ajan58 RMja58 RMso58 RMmj59 RMja59 RCAR1970 IndustrialSystems RN030868 EJohnston activities RHines RMEwbank JDHawkins RNsept1958 WLevacy hammering RN122065 VanHulle RohrHomes RohrHomes2 RN111868 RN052170 RN092479 RN080880 RN033181 RN032360 RN040560 RNjuly97 JJudd RNoct1997 RN071568 SL071791 SL121097 RN111765 CDriskill RivPhotos3 EDriskill LBagwell LAT091370 Press091470 RNaug91 RNoct91 RNdec82 RNnov82 WN082389 RNmidjan83 RNmidoct83 WN090689 WN091389 WN081689 WN101189 WN102589 WN110189 RNmidmarch83 WN020190 WN080890 WN032890 WN102490 WN072088 WN88 WN081088 EKunz CVSN121654 RNfeb83 RN100564 RNmidfeb85 CasaGrande 1958handbook RN121663 RNnov90 Anov55 Aerospace DPurdy CJPfrunder Custom 3 1975AR Watts motel RN041960 RNmidOct84 WN020790 RNnov84 RNmidSept84 JMalloy CWMullenix RN082161 A050843 RNfeb83 RNmar83 RNjan83 RNmar85 RNdec84 RNjuly83 RNjuly89 RMjf62 Snov46 RC63AR RNfeb91 DeptsPrograms Bahler RMsum63 RMfall63 RNjune83 Houston RN070263 RNmidjul83 RNmidjun83 RN090959 RNmidMay83 RNmay83 RN082881 RNmidApril83 RN112581 RNapril83 RN071663 RN052059 RN021982 RMspring67 flight FHooper Aaug56 Daytona

Rohr Aircraft Memories
a website for Rohr Retirees and Former Employees

home | Arkadelphia | Arlington | Auburn | Boston | Brown Field | Cape May | Casa Grande | Cerritos | Chula Vista | Clark | Delaware | Daytona
 
Edgemont |
Europe | Evergreen | Fairhope | Foley | Fresno | Garland | Hagerstown | Hamburg | Heber Springs | Houston | Huntsville | Irvine
Los Angeles
| Mexico | Mira Loma | Paris | Richmond | Riverside | Rockville
San Diego | San Marcos | Scotland | Sheridan | Singapore | Toulouse | Washington D.C. | Winder
BibliographyDepts/Programs | Guest Book | Looking For... | Memorabilia | People | Rohr Manor | Rohr Motel | Timeline
AeROHRcrafter | Rohr Magazine | Rohr News | News Clippings



Rohr Auburn, Washington
Manufacturing and Assembly Plant
support for Boeing Co., final assembly, wire harness assembly
Major leased facility

Writtenand compiled by S. Poole


"As you head south away from the busy boat yards and loading docks of downtown Seattle, you will find yourself driving on a four-lane highway that invades the lush green forests of Washington. You almost feel like an intruder into a pristine land of huge fir trees, beautiful ferns growing wild along the roadside, and expansive gree meadows. And just 20 miles south of urban Seattle, you find yourself in a rustic little town where handsome old homes line the rural roads. You can ask anyone in this town of 23,000 where the Rohr plant is and they will be able to tell you. Rohr's Auburn plant exudes the same rural aura as the rest of the town. The people are hard working and friendly, and the grounds and work areas reflect the compact, efficient operations of some 200 employees who work here."  ---- Rohr News, September 24, 1979

After Rohr's success in Winder, Georgia, Rohr "established an engine build up facility for Boeing-- supplying aft fuselage section for the 707" two miles south of Auburn, Washington (a suburb south of Seattle) in 1956 which opened in 1957 to better serve Boeing customers in Seattle, Renton and Everett. Former Auburn mayor and Boeing engineer Wayland Scarff met with Fred Rohr and Joe Rheim and "arranged for an option on the 80-acre tract the Company later acquired, making certain that adequate utilities, such as water, light, power, sewage outlets, and access roads would be available." The building Rohr occupied and leased was a former box factory near Boeing's Renton facility. Later the company would build a 39,000 square foot plant on the property. In 1969 the plant grew to 105,000 square feet (Kepos, 1994; Austin, 1969; Barron's, 1957, p. 36; Rohr, 1987; Douglass, 1992; Rohr News, September 24, 1979, p. 1). 

The Seattle Times stated that this 'plant will assemble "power packages" -- engines, cowlings and accessories -- for Boeing KC-135 jet tankers and Model 707 jet transports. The first unit of the plant, a 33,000-square-foot structure, is expected to be completed next fall. Rohr will begin operationsin a leased building in Auburn. The plant is expected to require a payroll of 200 to 500 persons' (June 25, 1956).

In 1970 when "the 747 program involving Pratt & Whitney engines" began the Auburn plant qualified to receive an FAA Air Agency Certificate for removing and replacing basic engine modules and incorporating changes" (Rohr News, September 24, 1979, p. 1) 

Rohr Riverside's 1980s Handbook for Salaried Employees stated that the Auburn facility does final assembly on engine subsystems for The Boeing Company." "It also prepares tubing and assembles electrical wiring for engine systems. The 112,000 square-foot facility is located 24 acres south of Seattle" (Rohr, 1987).

By July 1989, Rohr Auburn was employing 142 people (Douglass, 1993,  p. C1).

In 1990 Rohr Auburn was employing 180 people (Rohr, 1990).

By August 1992, Rohr Auburn was employing 146 people (Douglass, 1993,  p. C1).

In 1992, "Rohr made the decision to close its Auburn, Washington plant and transfer out manufacturing operations" (Rohr News, August 1995, p. 8). Rohr "announced it will close its 170-employee, Auburn, Wash., plant within four months and move work to other plants. Rohr would not say if any of the work would be brought to Chula Vista" (Douglass, 1992).

Rohr closed the Auburn facility in the early 1990's to improve production efficiency and to increase the use of it's other facilities. Rohr closed the Auburn plant in fiscal year 1993 and proceeded to sell it (Rohr, p. 23, 29).

What are some of your memories of working at Rohr in Auburn? Please send your photos and your stories to sue@rohrmemories.com so that we can post them here. Thanks!


References:
Douglass, E. (1992, May 22). Rohr hit by big loss in quarter. The San Diego Union - Tribune, pp. C.1. Retrieved from Proquest July 29, 2011.
Douglass, Elizabeth. “Rohr Still Pays for Heyday’s Decisions.” The San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Aug. 1993, pp. C1–C2.

Rohr Magazine (1958, May-June).
Rohr News, August 1995, page 8.
Rohr Auburn: Small plant with big job. Rohr News, September 24, 1979.
The Seattle Times. (1956, June 25).

See also:
“18 - and Still Growing: New Orders and Expanded Facilities Send Year’s Sales to Record Total.” 1958. Rohr Magazine 8, no. 11: 3–6.

 

Article from ROHR Magazine, September-October 1961, page 6

Article from ROHR Magazine, September-October 1961, page 7

Article from ROHR Magazine, September-October, 1961, page 8

Article from ROHR Magazine, September-October, 1961, page 9

Seattle Times photo by Larry Dion, June 28, 1956.

Steel work for the Auburn plant. Photograph by Larry Dion, January 26, 1957.

June 11, 1957

"Plenty of Power: In Auburn yesterday --Jet engines were lined up in Rohr Aircraft Corp's new $500,00 plant for assembly into "power packs" -- or engine units -- for Boeing KC-135 jet Stratotnkers and Model 707 jet transports, in production at Boeing's Renton plant. Rohr employs 70 persons at the plant, but the payroll is expected to to climb to more than 150 within the next 12 to 18 months. Operations began in the Auburn assembly plant this week." (Press photo dated 6/7/1957.)

This photograph is from the ROHR Magazine Summer 1965 issue.

Circa 1982. It looks like there was an addition made to the facility since the 1965 photo.

Opinions expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of the site owner. All content is ©2006-2024 Rohr Aircraft Memories unless otherwise credited or a vintage reprint. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of material is prohibited. Contact Sue with questions or comments. Website address: rohrmemories.com Last updated: 02-17-2024