BELOIT IRON WORKS "FIRSTS
1885 TO 1956July 21, 1885 The Beloit Iron Works was organized and created under the laws of the State of Wisconsin.
1891 Built the first Yankee machine constructed in the United States for Thilmany Pulp & Paper, Kaukauna, WI.
1893 Built the Chicago World's Fair paper machine installed and operated at the Columbian Exposition.
1898 Charles Warner, chief engineer of Beloit Iron Works made the first drawings of a removable Fourdrinier which was never built.
1901 Purchased it's first Gray Planer.
1903 Built a Harper Fourdrinier for Northern Paper company.
1908 The first 36" by 60" Farrel roll grinder installed in the Beloit Iron Works.
1910 Two 98" tissue machines furnished China were dismantled because of the war. loaded in junks and moved inland on the Yangtze River. Some of the junks were sunk and the remaining parts were used to make one complete machine.
1912 Installed the first plant sprinkler system.
1918 Built the first removable Fourdrinier, removable in 5 sections for the Consolidated Water & Power Company, Wisconsin Rapids, WI. It was a non-shaking and the only Fourdrinier ever built on this principle.
1918 Daylight savings officially recognized on a national level.
1919 The first annual meeting of the American Pulp & Paper mill Superintendent's Association, held in Chicago at the Congress Hotel. Beloit Iron Works was represented by A. Aldrich, E. H. Neese, Sr. and C. T. Ramsden.
1919 Built machine #143 for Consolidated Water Power and paper Company. This was a 160" machine designed for 1200 FPM. This was one of the first machines to exceed a speed of 1,000 FPM.
1921 Built the first totally removable fourdrinier with shake for the Filer Fibre Company and Bastrop Pulp & Paper Company.
1922 First woodblock flooring installed in machine shop addition. Machine tools redesigned for individual motor equipment.
1923 Beloit iron Works installed first unit heaters in the machine shop.
1925 Designed the first Beloit iron Works cantilever suction couch roll for Louisiana Pulp & Paper Company. Mutual Aid Association organized January of this year.
1927 First weldry established in corner of machine shop under stairway. First adjustable slice designed. First sand slinger installed in foundry. Produced eight winders, one vat section, ten reels, eleven presses, ten fourdriniers, eleven dryer sections and nine calenders this year.
1929 Inaugurated first safety program. Established a first aid room with Mrs.O. Bradford as registered nurse.
1930 Introduced Beloit's first hypoid gear unit. Advertised the first automatic roll and shaft handling equipment for high speed winders.
1933 Established Beloit Iron Works Credit Union September 20. By October 112 employees participated with $ 124.50 in deposit. First loans totaled $ 275 were made in December and by December 31 there was $ 615 on deposit.
1935 First suction drum press built for Eddy Paper Company, Three Rivers, Michigan. Built a 185" wet end for Thames Board Mill, England, the widest cylinder section ever built to that date.
1936 Built the first dual press for International Paper Company, Niagara Falls, New York. Issued it's first rules of safety and conduct booklets.
1937 To this date 141 patents and trademarks had been registered by the Beloit Iron Works. Plant flooded by high water February 21.
1939 First annual employee family picnic held August 19 at Hononegah Park, Illinois. Air conditioning installed in the main office building. The Beloit Foundation organized with W. S. Wood as treasurer. Employee group insurance made effective as of December 15.
1941 First World War II work began in January, and priorities placed for obtaining raw material.
1942 Designed and built the largest crank-pin lathe in the world. Established roll balancing standards. First stress relieving furnace installed for foundry castings.
1943 First complete Corvette engine shipped September 15 weighing 78 tons. Beloit iron Works awarded first of several Army & Navy "E" awards on October 30.
1944 E. H. Neese, Sr. wrote letters of encouragement to all servicemen from Beloit Iron Works serving in the various armed forces. December 12, Beloit Iron Works cited for third time for an Army Navy Production Award. May 28, Iron Works Glee Club made its debut. Frank Salerno director and Miss Rhona Fitzgerald as accompanist.
1945 Built addition to engineering and office building and placed cornerstone at entrance. Inaugurated training program for "on the job" veterans training under E. G. Hazlett. Informed by War department that company was entitled to the addition of another star to its existing Army Navy Production Award.
1946 Started plant wide paging and call system. On October 3, entertained members of TAPPI. Dinner for members was held at the Wagon Wheel. and laid cornerstone of new roll shop.
1947 Built highest speed tissue machine to date for Kimberly Clark, 174" Fourdrinier designed for 2800 FPM. World's largest cylinder machine installed at Alton, Illinois to produce liner board at speeds over 500 FPM. The Alton Box cylinder machine was 216" width designed for 720 FPM.
1948 Company started air loading suction rolls. Beloit Iron Works acquired first airplane. Biggest single day brass foundry meld of 11,976# was achieved August 16.
1949 Commenced manufacturing air controlled flow headboxes. Mechanized sand handling and cupola charger installed in foundry. Built the first machine to apply the principle of suction pickup and suction transfer for Crossett, Arkansas. The machine produced lightweight papers at speeds of 1900 FPM.
1950 Built the first paper machine with Beloit differential drives for Hunsfos, Norway. The machine was a 144" Fourdrinier designed for 1200 FPM. Built the first machine designed for 3000 FPM for Scott Paper, Pennsylvania. The machine was a 177" tissue machine.
1951 Premier of Beloit's first movie, "The Paper Story."
1952 Manufactured the first wire wound couch roll for Westminster, BC and the first wire wound breast roll for Scott Paper.
1953 Paperchine Club occupied by foremen in April. X-ray and metalography laboratories established by foundry.
1954 Introduction of the first inverse pickup press into a paper machine. First year the Beloit Iron Works produced 50,000,000# of paper machinery for it's customers.
1955 Built first frozen flow headvat. Inaugurated college scholarships for employee's children. First employee pension plan with exception of foundry employees. Beloit Iron Works has equipment operating in 30 foreign countries.
1956 First helicopter to land and take off from a rooftop in Beloit occurred during the Beloit International Conference. The landing platform was erected on the roof of the pipe roll shop.