BIW 1885 to the war years

Beloit Iron Works leased the old Merrill and Houston property and resumed operations.

Organizer and President of Beloit Iron Works was Fred Messer, who had been superintendent at Merrill and Houston. Alonzo Aldrich, who, had been a draftsman, became secretary; William H. Grinnell, lathe operator, became treasurer; and Nobel J. Ross, former boss erector, became superintendent. The newly organized company had ten employees beside the working officers, and it managed to get nearly $20,000 in sales that first year.

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Though there were no orders for complete paper machines until 1887, orders for parts and other products were so good that by October of 1886, 48 persons were employed. By 1889 about 100 men were working and the of officers were able to buy all the property of the old Merrill and Houston works. The company prospered. Beloit Iron Works advertised it could build a paper machine every 30 days. But misfortune struck unexpectedly in September of 1889 when Fred Messer died of pneumonia at the age of forty. Alonzo Aldrich, then thirty one years old, succeeded him as president. Growth continued as the company built complete machines, rebuilds and parts for paper mills in the Midwest, Canada and as far away as Texas. In 1891 the company made the first complete Yankee machine ever built in the United States.

In 1893 it was invited to build and install a paper machine at the Chicago World’s Fair, the Columbian Exposition. The machine operated at the fair with a full crew and received the United States Columbian Award for a "very high standard of workmanship and productiveness". A monument to Beloit’s design and manufacturing excellence. Elements of the World’s Fair Machine’ are still producing paper today at Great Northern, Nekoosa in Port Edwards, Wisconsin.

Demand for paper was growing rapidly in this period. Paper mills were prospering. More machines and rebuilds were being ordered and the machines themselves were larger. The first machines made in Beloit had been as small as 30 inches wide, but in the 1890’s machines wider than 100 inches were being designed with speeds of 200 fpm. So the company had to undertake an expansion program. More land was acquired on the west side of rock river spreading out from the island that had been part of the original Merrill and Houston property.

In 1896 a new foundry was built as well as new machine shops and offices. The most modern equipment was installed, able to handle the larger castings now required. Buildings were of brick and glass, much better than the wooden buildings they replaced, and heated too. In this year about 150 men were employed, working on paper machines that sold for $25,000 to $30,000 each. Technology was changing rapidly. Good quality paper could be produced on machines that ran much faster than before. In 1900 a Beloit cylinder machine would produce about 75 FPM; fourdrinier machines were making 500 FPM. In 1910 a cylinder machine designed for 300 FPM.

In 1897 a machine was shipped to Japan, and two went to China in 1900. Beloit had become well-known in the industry, both nationally and internationally, in part probably because of the machine at the Columbian Exposition.As the first years in the 20th century passed, though demand for paper was growing, machinery builders had lean years as well as good. When Beloit’s shops were not busy, time and money were spent on improving facilities to be ready for the next surge of orders. Improvements in design of the paper machine were always important. Beloit machines continued to break records in speed as well as production. With the team of outstanding men he hired and promoted over the years, Alonzo Aldrich kept the company in the forefront of the industry.

One of the bright young men he hired was Elbert H. Neese, just thirty years old, who was vice president and sales manager of a competitive machine builder, and also the husband of Laura, Mr. Aldrich’s only child. Elbert Neese, who already had 13 years experience in the industry, quickly became a strong factor in the management of the company, and with his help Beloit Iron Works increased sales rapidly. In 1916 when he came, sales were at their record up to that time; in the next 15 years they grew eight—fold.

Because of this surge in sales, and since paper machines were being built ever wider, again there was a need for rapid expansion of facilities. The machines shop was enlarged and tools were updated so they could make machines wider than the 160 inches possible before. Employment reached a peak of 550 in the year 1930. Money was spent on design improvement, to increase the speed of production and to improve product quality. Beloit led the industry and became known for superior machines with the most advanced design. And the company worked with its customers closely, to know their needs and to help solve their individual problems.

Alonzo Aldrich died in 1931 and was succeeded as president by Elbert Neese, Sr. Neese was faced with the worst year of the Great Depression. Orders for complete machines were non existent, and parts and repair orders were scarce. The work force shrank to 180. A slight upturn occurred in 1933, and gradual recovery took place the following years until 1937 employment reached a temporary 640.

In 1941 Beloit Iron Works turned part of its production to war materials, building machine tools needed for war production. By 1942 nearly 100% of its capacity was being used for crankpin—turning lathes, boring mills and powder mills. During the next three years the company built nearly 100 78 ton Corvette engines for the U.S. Maritime Commission. The Iron Works received the Army-Navy "E" for Excellence Award in November of 1943 and three times thereafter.