Raymond Herrick applied mass production concepts he had learned from automobile manufacturer Henry Ford to the production of refrigeration compressors. Following the outbreak of World War II, Tecumseh Products Company was called upon, like many American businesses, to aid in the war effort. This resulted in Tecumseh Products Company using its facilities to manufacture artillery shells for allied f
orces. Following the end of World War II, Tecumseh Products Company continued its production of refrigeration compressors and expanded into manufacturing compressors for air conditioning units. In 1956, Tecumseh Products Company purchased the Lauson Manufacturing Company, which was founded in 1895 by John Lauson. By the time of the purchase in 1956, Lauson Manufacturing Company had grown into one of the largest manufacturers of small gasoline engines in the United States. Following the purchase, Tecumseh Products Company dismantled most of the Lauson Manufacturing Company and used the assets to create Tecumseh Power Company.
