Fafnir’s story of bearing down in city
Already deeply involved in a number of “high-profile” local business ventures at the time, the visionary Howard S. Hart foresaw the need for the manufacture of American ball bearings as early as 1909.
After he’d concluded that bearings made in England and Germany were too expensive he began researching both markets and methods at his Booth Street company, then known as Hart & Colley. (The other principal of the firm which eventually became Tuttle & Bailey was Norman P. Cooley.)
As a result of that research the Fafnir Bearing Co. was incorporated in 1911.
Hart and Colley contributed half the funds, which amounted to $100,000.
The remaining $50,000 came from the other stockholders which totaled less than 30.
Elisha Cooper was chosen as the general manager of the new enterprise. He never stopped serving the firm. The New Britain Centennial Souvenir Book, published in 1950, points out, “Until his death 36 years later as Chairman of the Board, (Cooper) dedicated his business life to Fafnir.”
The book’s un-bylined article on the early days of the iconic New Britain manufacturer was used as a primary resource in the preparation of this column.
At the turn of the 20th century bearings were used primarily by America’s fledgling auto industry. Hart saw many other applications on the horizon.
The early business plan called for “sufficient men and equipment to produce 100 to 150 ball bearings a day.”
botebearings:Ball Bearings , Deep Groove Ball Bearing , Nonstandard bearing , Stainless steel bearing, Bicycle Bearing ,OEM bearings,, Power tool bearing ,Air Conditioner Bearing,Water Pump Bearing , Clutch Release Bearing , Ceramic Bearing
How many workers were deemed “sufficient” to achieve the company’s initial goals? Records show the answer to be just seven.
As American industry grew the local company grew with it, expanding to provide ball bearings for textile, aircraft, machine tool and agricultural equipment makers as well as mining and household appliance manufacturers.
Although it originally occupied just a small area of the Hart & Colley plant, Fafnir took over the entire facility within a few years and the parent company moved to a new location.
At one time, Fafnir’s devoted more than three-quarters of a million square feet of manufacturing space to its operations in New Britain.
At its pinnacle as the largest independent maker of ball bearings in America, the local company produced an incredible range of products. Virtually every type and size of bearing was listed in its catalog.
During World War II, when the nation needed ball bearings in unprecedented numbers it was Fafnir which responded with a fervor that was unmatched virtually anywhere else.
You recall the initial production schedule envisioned 100 to 150 bearings per day.
With the fate of the nation and the world hanging in the balance, the New Britain company found a way to produce an astonishing 100 ball bearings a minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for months on end.
Local workers took great pride not only in the quantity, but also in the quality of their contributions to the war effort.
Fafnir received many awards in fact for those efforts as the company continued to grow in size and importance.
By 1950 Fafnir had sales offices in 21 American cities, warehouses in 18 and a distribution network that spanned the globe.
Although subsequently acquired by other manufactures, the Fafnir Bearing Co. clearly also contributed to it’s hometown being nicknamed “The Hardware City of the World.”
In summing up, the author of the Centennial booklet article wrote, “The Fafnir Bearing Company … has grown from nothing to a business with thousands of employees and a pre-eminent position in the nation’s industrial affairs.”
After he’d concluded that bearings made in England and Germany were too expensive he began researching both markets and methods at his Booth Street company, then known as Hart & Colley. (The other principal of the firm which eventually became Tuttle & Bailey was Norman P. Cooley.)
As a result of that research the Fafnir Bearing Co. was incorporated in 1911.
Hart and Colley contributed half the funds, which amounted to $100,000.
The remaining $50,000 came from the other stockholders which totaled less than 30.
Elisha Cooper was chosen as the general manager of the new enterprise. He never stopped serving the firm. The New Britain Centennial Souvenir Book, published in 1950, points out, “Until his death 36 years later as Chairman of the Board, (Cooper) dedicated his business life to Fafnir.”
The book’s un-bylined article on the early days of the iconic New Britain manufacturer was used as a primary resource in the preparation of this column.
At the turn of the 20th century bearings were used primarily by America’s fledgling auto industry. Hart saw many other applications on the horizon.
The early business plan called for “sufficient men and equipment to produce 100 to 150 ball bearings a day.”
botebearings:Ball Bearings , Deep Groove Ball Bearing , Nonstandard bearing , Stainless steel bearing, Bicycle Bearing ,OEM bearings,, Power tool bearing ,Air Conditioner Bearing,Water Pump Bearing , Clutch Release Bearing , Ceramic Bearing
How many workers were deemed “sufficient” to achieve the company’s initial goals? Records show the answer to be just seven.
As American industry grew the local company grew with it, expanding to provide ball bearings for textile, aircraft, machine tool and agricultural equipment makers as well as mining and household appliance manufacturers.
Although it originally occupied just a small area of the Hart & Colley plant, Fafnir took over the entire facility within a few years and the parent company moved to a new location.
At one time, Fafnir’s devoted more than three-quarters of a million square feet of manufacturing space to its operations in New Britain.
At its pinnacle as the largest independent maker of ball bearings in America, the local company produced an incredible range of products. Virtually every type and size of bearing was listed in its catalog.
During World War II, when the nation needed ball bearings in unprecedented numbers it was Fafnir which responded with a fervor that was unmatched virtually anywhere else.
You recall the initial production schedule envisioned 100 to 150 bearings per day.
With the fate of the nation and the world hanging in the balance, the New Britain company found a way to produce an astonishing 100 ball bearings a minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for months on end.
Local workers took great pride not only in the quantity, but also in the quality of their contributions to the war effort.
Fafnir received many awards in fact for those efforts as the company continued to grow in size and importance.
By 1950 Fafnir had sales offices in 21 American cities, warehouses in 18 and a distribution network that spanned the globe.
Although subsequently acquired by other manufactures, the Fafnir Bearing Co. clearly also contributed to it’s hometown being nicknamed “The Hardware City of the World.”
In summing up, the author of the Centennial booklet article wrote, “The Fafnir Bearing Company … has grown from nothing to a business with thousands of employees and a pre-eminent position in the nation’s industrial affairs.”
bldiecasting - 19. Okt, 03:45
