Here’s a true story to tell at a time when we are most thankful for our families. True Manufacturing came to life in 1945 when Robert (Bob) J. Trulaske returned from World War II. Ask a grandparent what holiday meal time used to be like. It was likely always at home because hotels and restaurants simply couldn’t offer Thanksgiving buffets or Christmas dinners for the hundreds. Without adequate refrigeration, it would have been pretty hard to have prepared for the masses like they do today.

And before home refrigerators were a staple in the house, the guest list for the holiday dinner table was likely smaller because it was harder to serve fresh food to more than a dozen family members. Though the time of iceboxes might seem like an eternity ago, some might still remember the wooden cabinets lined with tin or zinc that kept food cold. There certainly wasn’t anything like The True 48 for the growing families of today.

So how did it all start? Here’s the true part we can share: One night, Bob Trulaske had the idea of using electric-powered refrigeration for commercial use. With the help of some family members, the first ever commercial refrigeration units were born, right in the Trulaske garage. Today, that same innovation and passion is carried out by members of the Trulaske family.