’60s

Delmer Wagner works for a sawmill in Redmond, Ore.   To measure moisture in lumber, mills use “contact moisture detectors” in a cabinet the size of a man and equipped with radio vacuum tubes. They are hard to use, hard to calibrate, and hard to interpret.

Delmer develops the first in-line moisture detector using transistors for the Redmond sawmill.   The detector is smaller and more compact than traditional detectors. It is also more reliable, and easier to calibrate. Pleased with Delmer’s newly-designed moisture detector, the mill takes out a patent on his device.   Delmer Wagner leaves the mill to teach at a local college.

Delmer Wagner founded Wagner Electronics.   He designs a second in-line transistorized moisture detector.

Ed Wagner, Delmer’s son, starts working for Wagner Electronics. He begins with wiring, assembling, soldering, and testing meters.

Development of the non-contact sideways and end-to-end sensors for quickly determining the moisture content of large quantities of wood being processed in lumber mills and secondary wood products operations.   Delmer develops a process to track season changes, compare kilns performances with specific wood species, and track the exact location of each stack of wood. This process innovation also tracked the amount of wood that came out too wet, with a need to be run through the kiln again, or too dry, causing it to warp, split and crack. The process helped to give mills the needed information to optimize the value of their lumber.   Invention of the Model 776 in-kiln moisture detector for accurate assessment of moisture levels during the kiln-drying process.

Info-Pak, a comprehensive kiln tracking software package for compiling moisture content data, is introduced for use in the forest products industry. The L610 and L612 meters are introduced.   Industry experts estimate annual flooring failures due to moisture in concrete at more than $500 million.

Winner – Rapid RH L6 – Most Innovative Product at 2020 “World of Concrete”   Top 10 Finalist – Orion 950 – Tomorrow’s Contract Floors Magazine’s “Top 10 Flooring Tools”   Wagner Meters has developed numerous patents over the years and holds many valuable patents that protect current products.

Rapid RH L6 products are launched to enhance the ease, quickness, and data integrity that made the Rapid RH concrete moisture testing system the tool of choice for professional floor covering installers and inspectors around the world:   Rapid RH L6 Total Reader® with Bluetooth® and ambient Temp/RH sensor Rapid RH L6 Smart Sensor with increased responsiveness in high RH concrete DataMaster™ L6 free smart device app with improved visual mapping   Wagner Meters launches the specialized C555 Electronic Concrete Moisture Meter as a tool for improving the efficiency of in-situ concrete moisture testing as described in ASTM F2659.   The Orion 950 wins the Association of Woodworkers and Furniture Suppliers (AWFS) 2019 “Visionary Award” for its multipurpose functionality and exclusive ability to be calibrated by the user.

Smart Logger™ 24/7 Temperature and RH data logger is launched.   Wagner Meters introduces the Orion® series of pinless electronic wood moisture meters. The Orions are the only wood moisture meters with the exclusive capability* to be field calibrated by the user in about a minute. *Patent Pending.   Eric becomes Vice President of Wagner Meters.

Wagner Meters celebrates the published revision of ASTM F2170 to decrease concrete moisture testing equilibration time from 72 hours to 24 hours. Wagner Meters President and ASTM F2170 Committee member Ed Wagner credits the extraordinary collaboration of the ASTM F2170 Committee to the expedient revision.

Eric becomes the manager of Wagner Meter’s marketing department.

Eric begins working full time in the Wagner Meters marketing department. Starting with web design, Eric’s responsibilities grow as he works to increase Wagner Meter’s customer support and educational presence online.

Introduction of the Model 778 in-kiln moisture detector which uses microprocessors to replace the analog circuitry of the Model 776.   Ed Wagner is promoted to Production Manager.   First Wagner pinless wood moisture meter invented: L600.

Ed graduates from Engineering school and returns to Wagner Electronics.

Wagner Meters offers the first Rapid RH® reusable moisture meter: the Rapid RH 5.0.   Wagner celebrates 50 years of offering quality moisture meters — now including four company divisions:   Forest Products Industry Woodworking Flooring Building Inspection  

The Rapid RH® DataMaster™ wins the “Most Innovative Product” award at WOC. A hand-held device, the DataMaster paired touchscreen capabilities with Bluetooth® technology to allow users to quickly and easily record all test data for a particular job site.

Wagner Electronics changes the name to Wagner Meters to better express the solution they offer to the market — moisture meters.

Ed’s son, Eric, begins working at Wagner Electronics by assembling meters and occasionally helping out in the engineering and marketing departments.

The original Rapid RH® in-situ concrete slab RH test system wins the “Most Innovative Product” awards at the World of Concrete (WOC).

Wagner Meters and CTLGroup collaborate to develop the Rapid RH®, an in-situ relative humidity testing system for concrete.

Howard Kanare (employed by CTLGroup, Portland Cement’s Material Testing Laboratory Service in Skokie, Ill.) and Wagner Meters suggest the first concepts of what would become the first Rapid RH® tool for measuring moisture in concrete.

The L722 Stack Probe is developed for use with the L622 Digital Recording Moisture Meter, making it easy to reach deep into stickered units of lumber and take accurate moisture readings without the danger of broken pins.   Stat-Pak for Windows, a powerful software program for moisture analysis using the L622, is also developed.     Ed Wagner chairs a number of ASTM Standards committees and is a driving force for updating and publishing several ASTM Standards for testing moisture in wood.

Recession hits and Wagner develops smaller hand-held pinless meters for the wood flooring and woodworking markets.   The L609, L607, L606, and L601-3 models are introduced and are designed for woodworking and wood flooring customers where quick scanning of lumber is needed.

Delmer Wagner retires and sells the majority of stock in Wagner Electronics to Ed Wagner.   Ed Wagner becomes president and CEO of the company.

Wagner Electronics adds microprocessors to in-line systems to aid in-kiln troubleshooting The forest products industry is among the first to take delivery of this innovative combination of computers and in-line moisture meters.