INDUSTRIAL NORWOOD
(This is the second installment of an article on Norwood Industries by Robert A Chadbourne appearing in the current issue of “Industry,’* official spokesman for the Associated. Industries of Massachusetts, being reprinted here by special permission of the publishers.)
Winslow Brothers & Smith Co.
Massachusetts can take full-blown paternal pride in the birth, progress, and achievement of Norwoods oldest industry—Winslow Brothers Smith Company. No other section of the country has any industrial establishment which can match the record of this company, which has operated continuously for 173 years without ever missing a payroll. Ownership and management have passed from fathers to sons through the long years, remaining in the hands of descendants of the original Smith and Winslow almost up to the present date.
Birth of the Winslow Brothers & Smith enterprise coincides with the birth of the nation in 1776, when Abner Guild began tanning sheepskins in Norwood, then a part of old Dedham. Tanning was a slow and crude process at that time but has been advanced through research and machinery into the modern field of chrome tanning, largely at the instance of Winslow Brothers & Smith, until this company became the largest handlers of sheepskins in the world.
With a little simple mathematics, it has been figured out that if all the sheepskins used in a year in the Winslow Brothers ic Smith tannery were placed end to end in a single line that line would be 2100 miles long, or approximately ten times the distance between Boston and New York While establishing and maintaining leadership in the development of the sheepskin industry this company has branched into other fields, and divides its operations into three general classifications— Leather, Wool, and Wool Tops.
Today the company produces sheepskins in every variety of tannage and finish for every known use. including linings and white leather for the shoe trade, slippers, fancy leathers for bags, pocketbooks, gloves, leather garments, hats and sporting goods and roller leather for the Textile industry.
In addition to the plant properties in Norwood the company operates five other plants for the manufacture of sheepskin leather. These plants are located at Gloversville. New York, Peabody, and Lynn in Massachusetts; Canton, Maine, and in Tilton, New Hampshire. Sales offices are maintained in Boston, New York, and Chicago.
The wool operations of the company, carried under the name of Winslow & Company, as a division, makes purchases in both the domestic and foreign markets, and the wool is either resold In the grease or processed at the large Wool Pullery which is maintained at the Winslow Plant for scouring and carbonizing the product. The company also has the exclusive sale on a consignment basis of Armour & Company’s pulled wool produced in the United States. For this division sales offices are located in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
Not only was Winslow Brothers & Smith Company born in Norwood, but the founder. Abner Guild, an ancestor of the former Governor Curtis Guild of Massachusetts, was a native of that town, born in 1757 He built his first tannery in the rear of his home, and when John Smith, whose name has remained in the firm for generations, was seven years old Abner Guild took him in as an apprentice, training him so well that he in due course became the head of the concern.
Some years later George Winslow of Brewster, Mass., who had served an apprenticeship in the tannery of David Guild of Roxbury, Mass., came to Norwood to work in the Smith tannery. He married Smith’s daughter which led to the formation of Smith & Winslow as a partnership. In 1853 this partnership was dissolved. Smith headed a new concern called Lyman Smith & Sons and Winslow headed the other under the name of George Winslow & Sons.
Both of these companies passed from fathers to sons, operating separately until 1895 when the magnetic George F. Willett acquired a controlling interest in the Winslow business. Through his effort the two companies were reunited a few years later and incorporated under the present name of Winslow Brothers & Smith Company. He remained as President until 1908 when he was succeeded in that office by Rolland M. Baker who at one time served as Postmaster of Boston.
In 1911 Hon. Frank G Allen succeeded to the presidency and in 1929 he became Chairman of the Board. The other executive officers include Kenneth W. Marriner. President. George A. Butts. Everett Schwartz and E. C. Martin. Vice Presidents, and Kenneth S. Domett, Treasurer.
One of the latest acquisitions ‘is the wool top manufacturing company of Francis Willey & Company, purchased in 1935, and this division of the company’s operations is handled at a completely equipped wool combing plant located at Norton, Massachusetts.
The Holliston Mills, Inc.
By the establishment of the Holliston Mills, Inc., in the town of Norwood that town has become almost a world source of book cloths—the cotton-based cloth used in bookbinding and for book covers. This business grew out of a conviction by its founders that such cloth could be made in the United States as well as in England whence came most of d at kind of fabric up to the end of the nineteenth century. The founders were the Plimpton brothers, Herbert M. and Howard E„ who in 1S93 planned for the manufacture of book cloths in a small building then standing on the present site of the Plimpton Press. They could foresee the future for such an industry here because they had been in the book-binding business for some years.
The early name for their new enterprise was The Security Manufacturing Company, but in 1895 the name was changed to Hollis-ton Mills, the name coined out of the name of Hollis Plimpton who appeared on the scene at that time. Today everywhere in the world where there is a book bindery the Holliston name is well known, this establishment having grown to be the leading industry of its kind in the country.
With the tremendous growth of the book publishing business both in this country and abroad has come a heavy demand upon the creative power of bookcloth manufacturers to give their fabric strength and beauty. Authors and publishers often have their own individual ideas about texture and color for their book covers to give their products distinctness. Textbooks, deluxe editions or reference editions call for extra heavy binding and cover material. For such purposes the Holliston Mills has a great variety of new plastic-coated and impregnated fabrics in all the colors of the rainbow. No matter what, types of filling ingredients and formulations may be wanted Holliston Is equipped to supply them, from the very thin fabric to heavy buckrams, and can give them any finish desired. Cotton fabric is the basic material for most of the book cloths. However, synthetic fabrics, nylon, rayon, glass and other base materials, such as treated and plain papers of varying characteristics, all make suitable webs as a base for various coating compounds. It becomes obvious to any observing visitor to the Holliston plant that coloring possibilities are unlimited, not only as to fastness to light, crocking and bleeding, but also as to hue and value. Book lovers and collectors will appreciate such virtues. What Holliston aims at In making book cloth, and unquestionably succeeds in, is to get toughness, abrasion resistance, flex strength, grease and oil impermeability and dimensional stability Even vermin proof is now being offered.
Make Tracing Cloth
While book cloth-making is the principal activity of Holliston Mills it is not its only industry Tracing cloth is one of its specialties, thus serving engineers, architects, art students, and many other groups of people. It makes on type of tracing cloth known to the trade as “Micro-Weave”, turned out in white or blue for ink or pencil tracing with a maximum of transparency and erasability and a minimum of feathering. It produces a water-repellent white pencil-tracing cloth under the brand name “Pel-X”. Holliston tracing cloth has become standard equipment in drawing rooms of all kinds of industries.
For manufacturers of rubber products Holliston makes the Holland cloth known in the industry as Bratex Rubber Holland for all types of rubber products.
Another line of cotton-based products made by Holliston includes tag cloth, label cloth, map cloth, and campaign Holland weatherproof sign cloth. Mattrex label cloth, shade cloth for windows, shipping cloths used to reinforce packages, loose-leaf books, shoe linings, and numerous other cloth specialties.
In 1920 the company erected the present modern manufacturing plant on Lenox Street, to meet the increasing demand for its products. but even these new quarters were outgrown within a few years and it was decided to locate a new plant in the South, near the source of supply of cotton goods. In 1926 a large plant was acquired in Kingsport. Tennessee. A considerable amount of bleaching, which had been done by the East Braintree Finishing Company, was then transferred to the Kingsport plant in order to make room at East Braintree for more modem equipment for finishing specialty fabrics, this Finishing Company having become a subsidiary of the Holliston Mills.
In 1941 Thomas McCusker, who was connected with the East Braintree plant, bought out the Plimpton interests in the Holliston Mills and then merged the Norwood, Tennessee and East Braintree plants.
Today Thomas B. McCusker is President and Treasurer; Joseph A. McCusker, Executive Vice President, Fred A. Carlson, Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and clerk of the corporation: George W Fredrickson, Superintendent and Austin J Bailey. Vice President and Sales Manager.
The Savogran Company
After 74 years in Boston, 70 of which were spent on historic India Wharf on the Boston waterfront, The Savogran Company in 1946 found itself in need of more room to accommodate its expanding business in the manufacture of paint sundries; paint and varnish removers, cleaning compounds, paint brush cleaners, plastic repair compounds and maintenance products for Die home and industry.
In its search for a location which would take full advantage of the features of decentralization, the company investigated over one hundred sites in the Boston suburbs for its new plant which originally was planned solely for the manufacture of its liquid chemical products. After many months of search. Norwood was finally selected as the location for this branch plant. The convenience to the Boston office, availability of skilled workers, ease of shipping by rail or truck, and the ideal site for the new plant were major factors in arriving at this decision. Construction was begun in the spring of 1946 and the plant officially started operations the following January.
Because of its modem arrangement for straight-line production, the new Norwood plant proved so efficient that in the fall of 1948, the entire Boston manufacturing division was moved to Norwood and consolidated with the liquid chemical division so that today all manufacturing is under one roof. All activity at Norwood is under the able supervision of James P. Parker, Treasurer.
The Savogran Company maintains its executive, sales and advertising offices in the Copley Square district of Boston where the President, Clement K. Stodder, makes his headquarters. The Central and Western states are serviced by the Savogran Company of Illinois now located in Chicago..
As is befitting the nation’s largest manufacturer of paint sundry items, exclusively, all equipment is of the most modern type, thus permitting a rate of production which would have been unbelievable a few years ago. A firm believer in attractive packaging and progressive merchandising methods, The Savogran Company is enjoying the best business in its long history.
Part of the explanation for the growing popularity of Strypeeze Semi-Paste Paint and Varnish Remover, Savablaze Non-Inflammable Remover. Kutzit Liquid Remover, Kwikeeze Liquid Paint Brush Cleaner. Savogran Crack Filler, Savogran Wood Putty, and the company’s other products is believed to be the growing tendency for homeowners to do their maintenance work themselves.
During World War II when it was difficult, if not impossible, to hire painters and carpenters, many people suddenly discovered their ability to do a creditable repair or painting job themselves.
The Norwood Press
Anyone who has traveled the main street, Washington Street, through the town of Norwood must have seen the massive ’ and architecturally attractive printing establishment of the Norwood Press. It is one of the leading industrial plants ‘in the area and is known in educational circles throughout the world as the printer of school textbooks and scientific works. The best kinds of illustrated book, catalogue, and pamphlet printing is included in its line. The Norwood Press imprint is found, also, on a large number of books representing what is known as “straight work,” such as novels, plays and poems, the publishers of which wish to be guaranteed first-grade work.
Many foreign and ancient languages are handled by the Norwood Press — Greek, Anglo-Saxon, Hebrew, Armenian, Syriac, Arabic and Coptic among them, though it is admittedly difficult at times to find compositors, who are well-grounded in those languages.
These entities are the J. S. Cushing Company which controls the department of typesetting and electrotyping, that being the composition part of the business; the Berwick & Smith Company which conducts the’ pressroom; and C. B. Flemming & Co., which does the work of binding. This trio makes the Norwood Press a complete printing plant.
Presently the Norwood Press occupies five buildings, employs about 600 in Its several departments, and binds between 3.000,000 and 5,000,000 books a year according to fluctuating demand. ! Demand has slowed down considerably in the book publishing world this year, due to the high cost of production. This company has expanded Its facilities several times since 1893 when it came to Norwood under the most auspicious and unusual circumstances.
Back in 1891 the town of Norwood, having become conscious of the need of an important industry, appointed a town committee, organized a business association, and began to fish for a desirable industry., Funds were raised for the purchase of the land on which the Norwood Press buildings are located On the day set for breaking ground for the new building, as the account of the event has it, “Every thrifty contributor to the fund who owned a tip-cart and a horse, an express wagon or (probably) a wheelbarrow, appeared on the scene of action ready to take a job tossing the dirt. On the evening of December 20, 1894, the Norwood Press was dedicated with the biggest town party ever held – in this village. Literally, everybody in town who could walk or ride was present.”
That year the Berwick & Smith Company and the J S. Cushing Company moved from Boston to Norwood to occupy the new Norwood Press plant, J. S. Cushing and James E. Berwick becoming the first Norwood Press representatives. E. Fleming & Co., (now C. B. Fleming & Co., Inc.) moved its bindery from Boston to Norwood and Charles B. Fleming became his company’s representative in the Norwood Press Company.
Obviously, the roots of the Norwood Press push down deep into the life of the town of Norwood, but. its branches spread out almost all over the earth.
“Let’s do it better, faster and cheaper” has been the formula of the Berwick & Smith Company division under the enlightened management of Walton C. Allen as general manager and Arthur H Gleichauf as pressroom superintendent, until the spirit of It has become the passion of the whole personnel. In fact this commendable espirit de corps prevails as well in the other two divisions under Oscar Berkland as manager of the C. B. Fleming & Co. bindery and Oliver J. Barr, Jr, as President and General Manager of the J S. Cushing Company composition and electrotyping department.
Oliver J Barr. Jr is President of the Norwood Press Company, the real estate holding company.
Mr. Barr is also President and James S. Cox is Treasurer of the J. S. Cushing Company.
Louis Zimble is President and Frank B. Gordon is Treasurer of C. B. Fleming & Co., Inc.
Frank B. Gordon is President and Louis Zimble is Treasurer of Berwick t Smith Company.
George H. Morrill Company
Printer’s ink that goes out from the hustling industrial town of Norwood speaks all the languages in the world, at least where the people know the art of reading Located in that town, the George H Morrill Company, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of newspaper inks, markets its products in the United States, Europe, Central and South America, Asia, and Australia out of which go the printed languages to all races and tribes. Few towns can boast of greater or a more widespread influence. Neither has any of the nation’s big businesses had a humbler beginning than the George H. Morrill Company’s printers’ ink business had more than a century ago, and few have achieved more significant progress.
The year was 1840. Martin Van Buren was President of the United States and the Civil War had not yet been fought That year Samuel Morrill, printer of the Worcester Spy and owner of the first press In the state, began the manufacture of printing ink in the kitchen of his home in Andover, Massachusetts. Inks were available before that time, of course, but they came from abroad and were not satisfactory, Mr. Morrill made his own inks and began to sell the surplus. He personally carried it in pails and kegs to his first customers in Boston.
During the early years of the embryonic business he took into partnership his eldest son. George H. Morrill and as the demand for his products increased he moved into the basement of a small factory building and it was not many years before they needed larger quarters.
Norwood was then chosen as the site where water power would be available to replace windmills and horses. By 1850 the plant had a capacity of 800 pounds a day and orders began to come in from printers outside of Massachusetts. Today the daily capacity is more than 150.000 pounds, and the delivery system has just been brought up to a new level of efficiency.
Now, for the first time newspaper inks, are being delivered tank trucks equipped with meters that accurately register and qz-cord the amount of ink transferred from the truck to the customer’s storage tank This advance is the result of over two years of experimental work According to Ralph C. Persons, General Manager of the George H. Morrill Company, the truck meters calibrated to within one-fortieth of one percent of absolute accuracy virtually eliminates the possibility of ink spills and tank overflows in the press room.
In 1853 Morrill secured one of the first American patents ever to be issued for the manufacture of printing inks. Then as now carbon black, and oil, were used. Lamp black was made from burning oil. The oil was made to drip slowly on a receptor where It was burned, and the smoke covered the ceiling from which it dropped down like black snow on the floor, then it was gathered with a shovel and mixed with linseed varnish.
All its departments are kept equipped with the newest and most advanced types of machinery Newspaper and book printing are constantly advancing in technique and quality, and every advance has to be anticipated by the manufacturers of inks, for each ink is identified as to its resistance to sunlight alcohol, alkali, heat, parafin and the like.
Now a division of the Sun Chemical Corporation, the George H. Morrill Company has factories in Norwood. Mass Tacony, Pa . Clearing Ill,, and South San Francisco, Cal. It has offices in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Fort Worth, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Seattle.
President of the Sun Chemical Corporation is George Walter Ullman General Manager of the George H Morrill division is Ralph C. Persons, New England Manager of Sales is John P Mather of the Boston office, and Plant Superintendent in Norwood is Foster G Babcock, the Foreman being Oliver T. Schelin.
One of the latest of important industrial establishments to move to Norwood is the E & F King Paint Corporation of Boston, now occupying a large remodelled plant at 40 Pleasant Street, Norwood.
This is the oldest paint manufacturing concern in New England, dating back to 1834 when it was established by Edward and Franklin King with offices and warehouse at 26 India Street, Boston, handling paints and drugs During the early years of the business they were importers and at one time owned and operated an English China Clay mine in England, selling the mine output to New England paper mills.
Soon after 1834 the partners set up a paint and putty manufacturing plant in Boston, producing technical and specification paints and putties for structural and industrial use.
In 1904 the business was incorporated and in 1945 the manufacturing division was set up as a wholly owned subsidiary corporation — the E. & F. King Paint Corporation — leaving the parent corporation as a selling and warehousing organization dealing in Industrial chemicals. One of its principal activities has been as New England representative of the Wyandotte Chemicals Corporation of Wyandotte, Mich.
It is planned to set up an industrial chemical warehouse in Norwood at the paint factory location. Another warehouse is maintained by the company in Salem.
Both the paint manufacturing and chemical corporations are controlled by the King family. The President of both corporations, Gelston T. King, is the grandson of one of the founders, Franklin King, and Franklin King, Jr., a nephew of the President, is Vice President of E. & F. King & Co., Incorporated. The other officers are Thomas J. McCoubrey, Secretary and Assistant Treasurer of E. & F. King St Co., Incorporated, and Treasurer of the Paint Corporation. Kenneth MacCuish is Assistant Treasurer of the Paint Corporation.
Norwood’s Two Iron Foundries
Norwood is represented in the heavy industries field by two specialized iron foundries.
The first, the Bay State Iron Foundry, is well over one hundred years old, although its present ownership dates back to 1938 when the establishment moved here from South Boston. The present property was originally the Plimpton Foundry established to supplement the printing Industry The present Bay State Iron Foundry is a job shop specializing in intricate and highly cored grey iron castings Its products include fire alarm pedestals, circuit breaker boxes, automatic machine parts for packaging, bottling and weighing machines and special types of cams and gears The company also casts sheaves for mining and petroleum machinery and it operates also in the ship chandlery field The very modem equipment enables it to pour castings ranging from 4 ounces to one ton in weight The foundry mainly serves customers within a 15-mile radius, but the Norwood-made product may turn up in any part of the United States. The business is operated as a partnership by James Sutherland and Alden W Drinkwater.
The other grey iron foundry is owned and operated by a national company the American Brake Shoe Company the Brake Shoe Casting Division Tins company specializes and devotes its entire production to brake shoes for railroads. street cars and elevated systems This plant is an old timer in Norwood having started in 1909 as the American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company. This is one of 17 plants of the parent company in the United States whose production is wholly devoted to casting of brake shoes. William B Given is President of the parent company and Maurice N Trainer is President of the Brake Shoe and Castings Division, with headquarters in New York City. The local plant is in charge of S. M. Hefferan Superintendent, who has been with the company since 1911
Norwood Machine Works, Inc.
Another one of Norwood’s specialty manufacturing plants is the Norwood Machine Works Inc., owned by Mr Charles T Gould, President and Treasurer. This company designs and manufactures many types of specialized equipment and machinery for highly technical manufacturing operations in other plants. For example, they recently completed the largest multiple-needle heavy-duty sewing machine in the country This is to be used for the guilting of thicknesses up to 6 inches with such materials as jute, sisal, glass wool and rock wool Some of the other equipment which they- have manufactured successfully have been special needle looms bandage folding machines, roofing slate distributing machines and a heading machine to decapitate fish in the fishing industry. They have customers all over the United States, Canada, and England The business was started in 1929 in Norwood, and in 1942 the operations were moved to the new modern plant on Lenox Street.
(All articles originally appeared in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)