Page 49 - Rukert - 100th Anniversary

PART I THE RUKERT STORY
“The future of Rukert Terminals is in Canton.”
— Norman Rukert Sr.
the future, announcing their intent to stay in business for another 50 years. As the aging warehouses in Fells Point became less profitable, Norman Sr. noted, “the future of Rukert Terminals is in Canton.” On February 9, 1972, Rukert Terminals expanded its footprint there by purchasing two acres of ground
at 2401 South Clinton Street from the Continental Oil Company for $60,000. The next year, a new steel building of 20,000 square feet was built. In 1976, the company added a second building of 28,000 square feet. In tandem, these buildings named “J” and “K” accommodated the increased tonnages of imported ferro alloys.
Two of the most faithful employees of Rukert Terminals retired in 1972. George Smith had started with Cap in 1923, pushing a wheelbarrow. At the time of his retirement, 49 years later, he had worked himself up to the post of Warehouse Superintendent at Brown’s Wharf. Though much admired, George was nicknamed “the snake” because he would move effortlessly through the maze of buildings at Brown’s Wharf. He is also remembered for teaching a young Norm a great deal about how to handle cargo like sugar, salt and canned goods.
Next, in his 45 years at the company, Vice President Jimmy Hickman did an outstanding
job supervising the stevedoring operations, new construction work and repairing equipment. When the retirement of the veteran Vice President Bill
Fleischmann also loomed, Norman Sr. decided it was time to form a new team of young executives headed by his son Norm, who had been elected Vice President on March 13, 1972.
Upset by decades of complaints from visiting officials about the shabby condition of Rukert Terminals’ main office on Caroline Street, Norman Sr. devised a plan to shift company operations to Lazaretto, without telling Cap. Norman planned to build new executive offices on the second floor of the “E” building warehouse. The floor plan included private offices for the executives, a boardroom, canteen, soundproof machine room and a large reception area. Construction was finished during the second week of February 1973, and after furnishing the entire office, it was time for Norman Sr. to break the news to his father.
BELOW: George Smith and his crew in the early 1970s.
Left to right: George David and George Smith (both standing), John Patterson,
Major Mitchell, Cleveland Nettles
and Dorsey Allen.
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