Charles Onsrud founder of CR Onsud USA, died Nov. 21, 2021, from complications that stemmed from knee replacement surgery.

Troutman N,C. -- Charles Rudolph Onsrud, the founder and former CEO of C.R. Onsrud USA, manufacturers of CNC machinery, died Nov. 21, 2021, from complications related to knee replacement surgery.

Onsrud was born on Aug. 26, 1931, in Chicago, and was the grandson of Oscar Onsrud, founder of Onsrud Machine Works. He worked for his father Rudy Onsrud at Onsrud Machine Works until he moved his family to Statesville, N.C., to be close to the furniture manufacturing industry and to work for Garrison Machinery, selling the Onsrud machines. In 1976, he launched C.R. Onsrud in Troutman, N.C. 

Onsrud designed and patented the inverted router, which the company says improved functionality and overcame the inherent safety issues associated with a traditional overarm router and is still in production today.

He was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including:

Onsrud, who formally retired from the company in 1996, was an Army veteran, and a proponent of American-made products.

 To celebrate Onsrud's life, services will be held:  

Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 2:00 p.m. First Presbyterian Church       125 N. Meeting Street Statesville, NC 28677

The family will visit with friends following the service at the church. A private family burial will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Hospital.  

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Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).

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