In 1849, an apprentice locksmith from Germany moved to St. Louis and obtained a job as a forger in a blacksmith shop. Within the year, his employer joined the gold rush, allowing him to purchase the business. Soon he was doing a brisk business forging metal wagon wheel rims and making hinges for the Conestoga wagons, which were leaving St. Louis in large numbers for the new frontier. His name was Charles Hager, and thus the C. Hager & Sons Hinge Manufacturing Company was founded. The Hager Companies, as they are currently known, remains family-owned and operated businesses with headquarters in St. Louis, Mo. The company distributes more than 5,000 different products worldwide, including locks, closers, exit devices, architectural hinges, residential hardware, roton, continuous stainless steel hinges, sliding door hardware, trim and auxiliary and threshold and weather stripping.