December 1958: Family Business, Community Pride: Hagen-Renaker's New Facility

Hagen-Renaker "Ferseyn" Arabian stallion.

Following up on yesterday's post about Hagen-Renaker, Inc. and the "Mystery Donkey" (link below), here's another Monrovia Daily News-Post story about H-R, this time from December 31, 1958.

This was a "banner" period for Hagen-Renaker horse production. Maureen Love's designs for the B-679 American Saddlebred "Honora," Arabians B-658 "Sherif," B-698 "Sheba," and B-697 "Ferseyn," the Quarter Horse "Maverick" and many others were part of the H-R lineup. Older designs were being retired; newer ones were being added.

Hagen-Renaker "Maverick" Quarter Horse stallion.

I think it's important to collect this information and share them where collectors inside and outside the organized model horse hobby can easily find them.  This is previously published information, but not everyone is able to spend the time and resources to look it up.

So here's the scoop in Monrovia, in December 1958. In 1957, Hagen-Renaker had taken the huge step of establishing a large facility on Shamrock Street in Monrovia, consolidating its operations under one roof.

More members of the family were now involved in its operations.

Hagen-Renakers were sold in South Africa, Canada, Venezuela, Guatemala, Hawaii, and Alaska (which wouldn't become US states until 1959).

"Simulated Arizona signed [style?] wall decorations for contemporary homes" with designs carried out in enamel were planned for 1959.  I've never heard the term "Arizona" applied to the wall plaques before! (Southwestern style design was popular during the late 1950s.)

Hagen-Renaker wall plaque with two horses.

Back to the article, which mentions many employee names:

Reading about Hagen-Renaker company history gives us better context for the model horses and other animal figurines we enjoy.  And articles like this one help us better understand the special connection between the community, the company, the family, and the employees.
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The Monrovia Daily News-Post had run a short article on the new H-R facility on December 31, 1957:

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Here's the link to the previous article, about the company in December 1953, and the mysterious donkey:

https://modelhorsehistory.blogspot.com/2019/12/hagen-renaker-history-and-donkey.html