It all started in a radiator repair shop in Austin, MN

In the late 1940’s Francis Anderson, the son of Swedish immigrants with only a 4th grade education, opened up a small radiator repair shop in Austin, Minnesota. As a resourceful entrepreneur, he was always finding better and more efficient ways to get things done - living by one of his many catchy mottos “if it’s hard you’re doing it wrong!” This mentality led him to invent rubber expansion plugs to make the leak testing process in radiators easier. These plugs were eventually sold all over the country.

After Francis’s death caused the radiator repair shop to close, the plug manufacturing arm of the business continued on as a small entity if its own. Francis’s son Dale moved operations to his basement where it continued as a “hobby” business. Although small, the business generated enough income to pay the college expenses of a 3rd generation of Andersons, who spent their weekends and evenings assembling and shipping the plugs to radiator shops around the country.

Pool leak problems are a new opportunity

In the mid 1980’s, changes to radiator construction and the advent of replacement radiators cut deeply into plug sales. Having recently graduated from college, Dale’s eldest son Lance spent some time attempting revive the declining sales to prepare to sell the company and move on to a “real career.” Lance discovered that several pool companies around the country were buying plugs from their local radiator shops to use for pressure testing swimming pool plumbing.

By listening to these pioneers, Lance determined that there was an unmet need for professional quality tools and information on how to more efficiently and effectively find and fix swimming pool leaks. What started as a temporary project became a full time passion for Lance and a new mission for the company.

Low tech plugs and sophisticated electronics

Based on input from professional technicians in the field, Lance improved the line of test plugs, facilitated access to useful products that were already available to other industries, and tapped into a network of capable engineers to expand the product line to address all aspects of the leak detection process. The introduction of advanced electronics such as the LeakTrac Vinyl Liner Leak Detector, Leakalyzer Water Loss Sensor, and Fisher Listening Devices has been integral in shaping how leak detection jobs are done around the world.

Often imitated, but never duplicated, Anderson focuses on perfecting the equipment you really need instead of pushing distracting, flashy gimmicks. Over it’s 35+ year history in the pool industry, Anderson Manufacturing has consistently been a thought leader in the leak detection space, backing up innovative products with a commitment to education and technical support.

An eye to the future

Anderson Manufacturing will continue to support the growth of the pool leak detection industry through the contributions of the next generation. Ethan Anderson (since 2017) and Britta Flynn (since 2019) are committed to continuing the Anderson legacy. Additionally, key to our growth have been the contributions of long-term employees Tony Janski (since 1987) and Brad Madison (since 2015).

Our purpose is to support the pool professional with top quality equipment, accurate information, and helpful advice. Ask those who have been in the industry for a while - we're sure you'll find that we are recognized as a critical contributor to the success of leak detectors worldwide. We hope that we can serve you in a way that helps you deliver value to your customers, earn a sustaining income for yourself, and create a personal history of “problems solved.”