Digging Up the Past

Peterson Breaks Ground On New HQ in San Leandro

Founder Howard Peterson wields the shovel at

ground-breaking ceremony for new San Leandro facility

In June 1947, Howard Peterson bought 20 acres of tomato fields in San Leandro on First Avenue, for his new headquarters. The cost? $5,000-per acre. Today, that 20-acre lot is prime real estate, one block off highly traveled I-80. At the time, the freeway was just a promise on the lips of the local politicians. The Nimitz Freeway was completed in 1956, putting Peterson head-quarters in the heart of the East Bay Area industrial community. In recent years, San Leandro’s Marina Blvd (formerly First Ave.) has undergone major redevelopment, reinventing itself into a highly trafficked “Automobile Row”. Cost of the acreage now? Who knows ... but it's prime real estate!

Several years after the big move, Peterson’s facility was written up in GoodYear’s BIG Magazine (Feb ‘60), describing it as a “Bunyonesque facility that dwarfs vitrually every other equipment dealership in the nation ... functional down to the last square inch.” An expansive showroom area showcased the different farming and industrial machines offered to customers, housed within a 25,000 square-foot building, along with the administrative offices, sales offices and front parts counter. Adjacent to that was the 32,400 sq-ft parts warehouse which backed up to a Southern Pacific railroad spur for easy equipment delivery from the factory. The largest building, a 42,000 sq-ft structure, housed the main shop with a traveling 3-ton hoist system serving 24 bays, a machine shop with welding and fabrication capabilities and a drafting room. Beyond, stood two smaller utility buildings for the steam cleaner, paint booth, sandblasting area and miscellaneous storage.

Today, Peterson has grown into the extra “elbow room” Howard bought back in 1947, and then some. With one-third of all Peterson employs housed at the Marina Blvd property, we’re nearly bursting at the seams. Every square inch is being used. Success does present a few problems. But what a problem to have! Howard’s foresight on buying the location is just one of the many foundational factors that still continues to drive Peterson’s success 60-some years after that first shovel bit into the dirt.

Peterson Tractor & Equipment Co.’s

new HQ at 955 First Avenue, San Leandro,
formerly 20 acres of tomato fields

Howard Peterson in his new office
overlooking the showroom ... circa 1949

Peterson’s former HQ ('42-48) took up

an entire city block at the corner of

A & Soto streets, in Hayward, CA