A Humble But Determined Start
“Perfection in every piece.” Those words hung on the wall of a makeshift workshop in a rented hangar in Magnus; they would end up being the driving principle of the company that became Kruger Intergalactic.
For all its success, few know this industry heavyweight’s humble origins. In 2558, Ozell Kruger opened a workshop on her home planet of Borea in the Magnus System and called the company Kruger Intergalactic. Her company’s ability to deliver first-rate products on time and within budget quickly impressed customers. Still it was Ozell’s good fortune to have opened her operation during the Borea boom that really helped her fledgling company thrive.
Building on that significant boost up, Kruger Intergalactic has grown from those humble beginnings into a multi-billion Credit business. It specializes in expertly crafted, custom-machined parts and, more recently, creating full weapons and ships, including the popular Tigerstrike rotary cannon and the P-52 Merlin snub fighter.
Military Complex
As the Navy expanded, UPE money flooded the planet, which, for a while, was a major military hub and source of ship construction. At the time, Kruger was still a small operation and did not have the infrastructure or production pipeline to compete for government contracts, so it focused on landing deals to produce components for larger companies. Kruger’s selling point was the ability to manufacture a wide variety of parts for anything from weapons to construction equipment to ships. With manufacturers scrambling to fill orders, and Kruger’s sterling reputation spreading fast, its services were in high demand. It was during this period that Kruger began its longstanding relationship with Behring and RSI. From laser-cut firing pins on Behring’s P8-AR to meticulously forged crucial capital ship components, Kruger-designed manufacturing parts quickly became essential for many items.
Luckily for Kruger, this confluence of events occurred before Magnus’ military-industrial bubble burst. In 2751, the UEE moved their main shipbuilding yard to the Kilian System. As numerous companies closed or fled the system, Magnus’ economy collapsed. Yet, Kruger did not just survive, it thrived. The company took advantage of the downturn to buy cheap real estate and abandoned equipment to expand its operations. At the time, Kruger’s CEO, Artyom Chansiri, claimed that the company would stay loyal to the system and told numerous trade publications that its parts would always be “made in Magnus.”
Unfortunately, Chansiri was not able to keep his word. As legitimate businesses left Magnus, residents were forced into illegal industries to survive. It was not long before Magnus had earned a reputation as a developed system with a frontier mentality. Each year, Kruger executives grew more concerned as additional Credits were spent protecting shipments.
Finally, in 2785, pirates raided a large convoy of Kruger-made RSI parts leaving the system. The disruption to RSI’s supply chain put one of Kruger’s key partnerships in jeopardy, so the company scrambled to find a solution. Years later, leaked corporate documents revealed that Chansiri personally guaranteed that Kruger would leave the Magnus System to keep RSI’s business. It was only a matter of finding a suitable, and cost-effective, new home for its massive operation.
Eventually, Kruger found the ideal spot near Sherman on Castra II. The planet was originally a military base constructed during the cold war with the Xi’An. In 2789, relations with the Xi’An had improved enough for the system to be designated for Citizen and civilian use. With a significant amount of affordable space, solid infrastructure and, most importantly, safe and secure shipping routes, Sherman was an ideal destination. The moment the planet became open to non-military entities, Kruger moved in. Sherman has housed their headquarters ever since.
The Whole Picture
After centuries of success as a parts manufacturer, it was an offhand remark by an executive at a board meeting that the company “made all the parts for a gun, except for the gun itself” that would change Kruger’s course forever. The seed was planted and it did not take long to sprout. The company’s first entry into the weapons market was a line of ballistic Gatling guns named Tigerstrike. Their expert craftsmanship and straightforward design produced a slick and powerful weapon.
At first, sales were sluggish. With Kruger having previously only been known by industry insiders, the weapon buyers of the ’verse were not quite sure what to make of this ‘new kid on the block.’ Determined to show what it could do, Kruger cut a deal with Aegis. Kruger gave Aegis a discount on parts production in exchange for them changing the Avenger’s stock weapon to the Tigerstrike. Soon, with both military and Advocacy personnel singing the gun’s praises, its popularity rapidly rose. The success of the Tigerstrike encouraged the company to continue developing other weapons.
Following its successful transition to full-scale weapons manufacture, Kruger set its sights on making ships. After the sluggish beginning of its weapons program, it knew this would pose a significantly higher financial risk, so it needed to figure out a way to enter the field without being fully exposed. For this endeavor, it once again leveraged its strengths and looked to a larger company for a leg up. Kruger won a contract to produce two short-range ships for RSI to package with their Constellation line. Of course those ships, the P-52 Merlin and P-72 Archimedes, heavily feature Kruger parts and weapons.
Ozell Kruger opened her original workshop intent on making quality parts. Few could have predicted just how far that initial dedication would take the company. Now the words that once graced her original shop, “Perfection in every piece,” have become the motto of a company known and respected throughout the Empire.