Bio of HESSEL, Edward L. (b.1885), Hennepin Co., MN
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EXTRACTED FROM: History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; 
Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. 
Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.; Volume I - Shutter (Historical); 
volume II - Biographical; volume III - Biographical

EDWARD L. HESSEL - Vol II, pg 818-822
Edward L. Hessel, well entitled to representation among the prominent business
men of Minneapolis as the founder and president of the American Plumbing &
Heating Company, has had a quarter century of continuous experience in this
field, both as a practical and employing plumber, and is also widely recognized
as an expert in heating systems. His birth occurred in this state, on the 14th
of September, 1885, his parents being Joseph and Louisa (Fisher) Hessel, natives
of Toledo, Ohio. Edward L. Hessel attended the public and parochial schools in
the acquirement of an education and then began learning the plumber's trade,
pursuing a course in a business college at the same time. For several years he
plied his trade as a journeyman plumber, traveling about from city to city and
working in different places, thus gaining knowledge and experience that would
have been impossible to secure had he remained in one location. He entered into
the plumbing business in Minneapolis as a merchant plumber in 1909, occupying
the present site of the Lake Street Theatre and continuing operations under his
own name until 1919. As time went on he became especially interested in the
problems of economical and efficient heating, making an exhaustive study of the
subject, on which he became a recognized authority. As a specialist in heating
he located in the Plymouth building, where he remained until the United States
entered the World war. Seeing larger possibilities in the business, he decided
to expand his concern and in May, 1919, organized the American Plumbing &
Heating Company, which was incorporated on the 1st of June, 1920, with Mr.
Hessel as president and general manager. Additional men and capital were taken
in to carry out the plan of organization he had in view. His plan was to perfect
an organization having five distinct branches-plumbing, heating, ventilating,
electrical and sprinkler. This plan of organization he carried out and in charge
of each branch he placed a man of proven ability. These men were provided with
the best obtainable in tools and equipment, as well as competent help. The care
and judgment used in selecting the personnel of the organization has been amply
Justified in the continuous success and complete satisfaction to builders, of
the American Plumbing & Heating Company installations. This unsurpassed
satisfaction achieved by the American Plumbing & Heating Company for those whom
it has served is due not only to the personnel of the company but to the plan of
its organization. Due to the fact that it handles installations in five
different branches, its volume of purchases is large. Thus its business is
particularly desirable and it commands unusually good prices for materials.
Consequently the company can offer work at exceptionally favorable prices. As a
safeguard against possible errors it maintains its own engineering department.
All plans are checked over in this department before any work is undertaken. If
errors are discovered the proper parties are notified and suggestions submitted
as to the changes required. The advantages of having installations in all five
branches under the direction of one concern are very evident. It is economical,
complete cooperation in these several installations is assured and the timing of
the work in the different installations can be better worked out to the
substantial advantage of the builder. With these advantages of personnel and
organization the American Plumbing & Heating Company has forged steadily ahead
in its field to a place of leadership first visioned by its president. E. L.
Hessel.
C. H. Carrier has served as vice president of the American Plumbing & Heating
Company since its organization in 1919, while G. J. Dunne, who has shared the
office management with Mr. Carrier, has been in charge of the estimating work
for the concern since it was founded. The company works on a profit-sharing plan
which was devised by Messrs. Dunne and Carrier. The effectiveness of this plan
in securing the most energetic and loyal workmanship has been repeatedly
demonstrated and it is today considered one of the most valuable plans ever put
into effect within the organization. R. H. Crosby is superintendent of the
engineering, heating and ventilating departments, Otto D. Varrs acts as
superintendent of the plumbing department, while J. B. Duffy heads the
department in charge of automatic sprinkler system installation for the company
and H. W. Nichols is superintendent of electrical installations. The American
Plumbing & Heating Company maintains an excellent drafting department, which is
used exclusively for furnishing the architect and engineer with detail drawing
or sketches of equipment, where such drawings are requested by them. This work
is done by highly competent mechanical engineers.
In the Hennepin-Orpheum Theatre installation of plumbing, heating and
ventilating the American Plumbing & Heating Company handled one of the biggest
pieces of work in these lines that has ever been let in the Northwest. Work on
this contract started April 1, 1921, and was completed October 16th of the same
year. It required the use of two carloads of wrought-iron pipe, one carload of
cast-iron pipe, two carloads of radiation, two No. 322 Kewanee boilers, one
large vacuum pump, five large fans and motors (twenty horse power), two large
bilge pumps (capacity seven hundred and fifty gallons per minute), one hundred
and seventy-nine Vitreous china plumbing fixtures, one carload of cast-iron
fittings and valves and eleven hundred floor ventilators (mushroom type). The
assembling and installing of this tremendous amount of material within six
months' time is in itself the most significant comment possible on the
high-grade work of the American Plumbing & Heating Company. The concern
installed ten thousand square feet of radiation and four hundred and twenty-five
plumbing fixtures in the Belmont apartments of Minneapolis. The contract on the
Walsh Tie and Pole Treating Plant was let for one hundred and fifty-four
thousand dollars and involved the installation of the complete mechanical
equipment, the plumbing, heating, power and creosote work. To carry out the plan
of the construction it was necessary to install a private waterworks plant.
Housing for capacity employment of three hundred men is provided in six
buildings. The heating, plumbing and electrical installations include showers
and, in fact, all modern plumbing, heating, lighting and sanitary features. The
company's contract in the Jordan high school of Minneapolis included
installation of stage and auditorium lighting control, while one of the recent
sprinkler installations of the company is in the New Wilmac building at No. 715
Nicollet avenue, where it also installed the plumbing and heating systems. The
firm was likewise awarded the contract for the heating, plumbing and electrical
systems in the Deckas store and office building, the electrical system in the La
Salle Garage, the heating system in the fifth precinct police station of
Minneapolis, the plumbing, heating and electrical systems in The Grieves Company
building of this city, and the plumbing system in the plant of the Berger
Manufacturing Company of Minneapolis. The following are some of the
installations of the American Plumbing & Heating Company now in operation: The
Eugene Field school of Minneapolis-plumbing, heating, ventilating and
electrical; East End Superior high school, Superior, Wisconsin-electrical; the
Kingman building, Minneapolis-plumbing and heating; the demons building,
Minneapolis-plumbing, heating, electrical and sprinkler; the Farmstead building,
Minneapolis-plumbing; the Wisconsin State Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin-plumbing;
the Equitable Life Insurance building, Des Moines, Iowa-plumbing, heating and
ventilating. It will thus be seen that a large per cent of the big contracts let
in this line since 1919 have gone to the American Plumbing & Heating Company, a
convincing evidence of Mr. Hessel's standing in business circles and his high
reputation as an expert in his chosen line of work.
Mr. Hessel married Miss Caroline Howe and they have one daughter, Adeline
Hessel. Fraternally Mr. Hessel is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of
Elks and he also belongs to the Loring Commercial Club. He is fond of outdoor
sports and finds in them a welcome diversion from the cares of his business.