After serving in the Marines, Walter W. Gauer founded Gauer Metal Products in 1946 with his brother Edward Gauer and machinist Eugene Wroble after using his mustering-out pay to buy a surplus military truck. Walter, the youngest and most motivated partner, was in charge of part processing, sales, and deliveries. The company laid the groundwork for decades of innovation in metal fabrication by first concentrating on producing hotplates, bakery racks, conveyors, early carton flow shelving, and general machining.