A LEGACY THAT DEFINES US SINCE 1939
OUR HISTORY
From our beginnings as Modern Refrigeration to becoming a regional leader, our story is one of growth, integrity, and vision for the future.
OUR ROOTS
Modern was founded in 1939 as Modern Refrigeration. Modern Refrigeration and Puth Company, a plumbing contractor, merged in 1963 to form Modern Piping, Inc. Over the last 85 years, we have expanded our reach beyond our headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to include offices in Dubuque, Des Moines, the Quad Cities, and Minneapolis, MN. On January 1, 2022, we rebranded ourselves to “Modern.”
KEY MILESTONES IN OUR JOURNEY
1939
Modern Refrigeration, Inc. opens.
1963
Merge with Puth Co., Inc. to form Modern & Puth, Inc.
1969
David Brown, Sr. becomes a shareholder.
1971
Company is renamed Modern Piping, Inc.
1985
David Brown, Sr. assumes full ownership of the company.
1989
Started our High Purity Piping Division.
2001
Dubuque, IA office opens.
2003
Blaine, MN office opens.
2006
David Brown, Jr. and Ken Brown buy the company.
2013
Modern Sheet Metal, Inc. opens.
2014
Urbandale, IA office opens.
New Cedar Rapids, IA office & fabrication facility opens.
2015
Quad Cities, IA office opens.
2022
Company is rebranded to Modern.
2022
Bob Brown, third generation of Brown family, becomes CEO.