Androv Carlson (1854 – 1925) was a Swedish-American inventor and industrialist best known as the co-founder of the Stromberg-Carlson Telephone Manufacturing Company. Born in Tommared, Sweden, Carlson immigrated to the United States and found work as a manufacturing employee for the Chicago Bell Telephone Company. In 1894, following the expiration of Alexander Graham Bell's core patents, Carlson partnered with fellow Swedish immigrant Alfred Stromberg, with each investing $500 to establish their own telecommunications firm in Chicago. While Stromberg handled marketing and design, Carlson managed the manufacturing operations, establishing a fierce reputation for high-quality, reliable equipment that became affectionately known as the "farmer's friend" for breaking down isolation in rural America.
