Jonathan A. Rocksberg

Jonathan Adam Rocksberg (born February 2nd, 1870) is a Vesperian businessman and industrialist. He is the main shareholder of Rocksberg Steel and Rocksberg Motors, the former being one of the largest steel companies in Vesperia. He became the main shareholder of Rocksberg Steel following the death of his father, Benjamin Adam Rocksberg in 1901. In 1903, Jonathan A. Rocksberg created Rocksberg Motors, based in Charton, which would revolutionize the automobile industry.

Youth and Education
Rocksberg was born on February 2nd, 1870, in the Rocksberg family Mansion in Winhesia. His father, Benjamin Rocksberg, was the founder of Rocksberg Steel, a steel business that was growing more prominent in Winhesia. In 1870, Jonathan Rocksberg's birth year, the Vesperian Civil War broke out. During the Civil War, Rocksberg Steel was an important supplier to the Union government. In the years after the Civil War, Rocksberg steel continued growing and by 1878 the company was the largest steel producer in Winhesia.

During his childhood, Jonathan Rocksberg was fascinated by all things mechanical. He frequently repaired watches for his friends and even made schematic (but unprofessional) drawings of steam tractors. As he was his father's first child, Jonathan was the designated heir of Rocksberg Steel. As he was the son of one of the state's richest industrialists, Rocksberg was said to be arrogant to strangers, but less so to his close friends.

This arrogant attitude changed when Rocksberg's mother, Elizabeth Rocksberg, died of tuberculosis when he was 16 in 1886. Rocksberg was devastated by his mother's death. Despite the tragedy, Rocksberg remained fascinated with engineering and he spent a lot of time in the family Mansion's stables, which Jonathan had converted into a makeshift workshop. Here, he disassembled steam engines from old tractors to discover their inner workings. During this time, Rocksberg would study Business Management at Stapton Business School.

Early Career (1892-1901)
In 1892, aged 22, Rocksberg graduated with a degree in Business Management. He quickly got a job as a manager in one of his father's factories in Torneth. Contrary to the policies of many industrialists and their managers at the time, including his father, Jonathan Rocksberg sought to gain the respect of the workers that answered to him. He treated them well, which greatly improved their motivation and productivity. Rocksberg became the Chief of Engineering at the factory thanks to this success. His salary allowed him to purchase an entirely new workshop, along with new parts. Despite not having a degree or any professional experience in engineering, Rocksberg started experimenting with automobiles, even creating some designs of his own.

It became clear to Rocksberg that he would need more experience to pursue this 'hobby'. He used the money he earned from his job to study engineering at the University of Torneth. His job and studies combined cost him almost all of his free time. Rocksberg's performance at work greatly decreased, much to the disapproval of the head of the factory he worked at. In 1897, at the age of 27, Rocksberg gained a degree in engineering.

In the same year, after his graduation, Rocksberg was made the head of all Rocksberg Steel operations in Torneth. He expanded his management policies to all factories in the city. However, Rocksberg and his father were violently opposed to trade unions. Due to Jonathan's lenient management policies, workers in some factories grew cocky and wanted even more concessions. Rocksberg refused to give in, and with the Torneth Industrial Union's support, many of his workers went on strike. In response, Rocksberg hired private "Strike Busters", which violently broke the factory strikes.

Rocksberg Steel and Rocksberg Motors (1901-Present)
See also: Rocksberg Motors

In 1901, Benjamin A. Rocksberg died of a stroke. Jonathan, being his only son, inherited most of his father's properties. These properties included the majority of shares in Rocksberg Steel. The Board of Directors promoted Rocksberg to the position of CEO. Jonathan then attempted to enact his management policy throughout the company, but these attempts were blocked by the more conservative Board of Directors.

Dissatisfied with the situation in Rocksberg Steel, Rocksberg decided to put his passion of engineering to professional use. In 1903, using capital he inherited from his father, Rocksberg formed Rocksberg Motors. Rocksberg sought to create an affordable family car that could be used by all Vesperians. The first car designs were too expensive and inefficient to mass-produce. The 1906 Rocksberg Model J was the first model that had some success, although it was still not affordable for the average Vesperian. Its production was also very slow: it took multiple weeks to produce a single automobile.

In 1911, the Rocksberg Model S was the first model that satisfied Rocksberg. However, production still took a long time due to the fact that all parts had to be hand-crafted and assembled. To remedy this, Rocksberg introduced the moving assembly line in 1912. This assembly line, combined with scientific management of his workforce, allowed an automobile to be produced within mere hours instead of weeks. This made the Model S the first automobile to be affordable for the Vesperian middle class.

Rocksberg's workers were, however, not all satisfied with their working conditions, which had deteriorated since the introduction of the moving assembly line. The line caused a lot of stress for workers as it could go faster on the manager's orders and did not stop. To reduce the influence of trade unions on his production, Rocksberg started using his immense profits to greatly increase the wages of his entire workforce. Not only did this keep his own workforce satisfied; it attracted the very best mechanics of Vesperia to his factories.

By 1920, Rocksberg's competitors had not yet caught up with the mass production of Rocksberg Motors. Therefore, the company dominated the automobile market, with many middle-class families owning a Model S. Rocksberg had become a household name.

Marriage and Family
During his childhood, Rocksberg was introduced to the children of other wealthy industrialists. He became closely acquainted with Eloise Clarke, whose father owned a textile company. While Rocksberg was studying in Stapton, the two remained in contact through writing letters. When Rocksberg graduated, he and Eloise would continue their courtship until 1899, when Rocksberg proposed to Eloise. The two would marry in the same year.

Rocksberg and his wife would have two children. Jonathan Adam Rocksberg Junior was born on 6 November 1900. Donald Benjamin Rocksberg would be born on 7 March 1904. Rocksberg and his family live in their mansion in Charton.