BELOIT IRON WORKS 

 THE WAR YEARS to 1987

It was during this war period that the National Labor Relations Board ordered an election, and the International Association of Machinists, AF of L was recognized as bargaining agent for the machine shop employees, the first union to be recognized by the Iron Works.

To handle the pent-up demand for large paper machines in the years following the war, capacity was added, land was acquired, the tail race which had separated the island was filled in, and new buildings and modern machine tools were put into operation. Beloit paper machines were soon again breaking records for speed and production. In 1947 a tissue machine was furnished which ran 2800 feet per minute. The worlds largest cylinder machine was installed to produce board at a speed of over 500 feet per minute. By 1950 the first tissue machine was designed for a speed of 3000 feet. per minute.

The driving force behind this remarkable technical progress was Lloyd Hornbostel ably assisted by Ed Beachler, Jimmie James, Sterling Skinner, Alonzo Aldrich Neese and a "new boy" "E J" Justus.

On the sales side were Elmer Macklein, Bill Goodwillie, Francis Ramsden, Al Olson and Harry Moore.

Bill Wood headed operations and Bert Baptist ran the foundries, 50 year service awards were common. John Molique the shops and Walt Dundmore headed production.

The work force was growing rapidly during this prosperous period. There were about 1,000 employees in 1946; 1,300 in 1947; and 1,450 in 1948. Employment reached 1,690 in 1952, the year in which Elbert Neese, Sr. became chairman and Harry C. Moore, who had started work at Beloit in 1937, became president.

Harry Moore, dynamic and charismatic like Mr. Neese, also shared his keen interest in expanding sales. The company spread its wings with the opening in 1949 of a sales office in Paris to promote Beloit machines throughout the world. During the 1950’s, as much as a fifth of all shipments were to foreign countries. Presidential hopefuls were among Beloit’s many visitors.

A West Coast sales office was opened in Portland, Oregon, followed by one in Mobile, Alabama. Purchase of the foundry and machine shop facilities of the Dowingtown Manufacturing Company in Pennsylvania in 1955 was the first of a series of acquisitions to increase production and to diversify. Next was a factory in Italy; then E. D. Jones & Sons Company in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1958 and a plant in Sorel, Quebec. Beloit machines were soon being manufactured in England, Japan and Spain in production facilities owned or licensed by Beloit.

Important in the development of the company were the establishment of a research facility in Beloit in 1955 and the 1961 completion of a Research Center in Rockton, Illinois, headed by "EJ" Justus. Beloit was enabled to focus its ability to innovate and to further enhance its technological leadership.

Elbert H. Neese participated in the dedication of the new Research Center, but died unexpectedly in August of 1961. As Chairman he had been influential in the company until his death.

The name "Iron Works" no longer seemed to describe the company’s activities, and further diversification was planned, so the company officially became "Beloit Corporation" on January 1, 1962.

A search for new products began as the company tried its hand in a variety of new endeavors, some related, some not related to the paper industry such as plastics machinery and tree harvesting equipment. Licenses were signed with firms in Poland and India for building Beloit paper machinery. The first turn-key project for an integrated pulp and paper mill was completed for Orient Paper Mills, India, in the mid-60’s. Wheeler Roll Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan was acquired in 1966.

During Harry Moore’s leadership Beloit became one of the major paper machinery builders in the United States and with its licensees, in the world. Even as the industry became mature, sales continued to grow almost every year. Beloit’s technical lead was strong, its patents numerous, its innovations valued. Moore became chairman at the end of 1974, the position he held until his retirement in 1978. He was succeeded by Elbert H. Neese, Jr. as president and later as chairman in 1984. Thomas G. McKie succeeded him as president.

Company growth continued with the purchase of Lenox Machine Company, the Rader Companies, the Roll Covering Division of Raybestos Manhattan, and the minority share—holdings in Beloit’s overseas plants. A new partnership was formed and a manufacturing plant built in Brazil in 1980. Efforts at diversification were again made in a variety of fields; insurance, railroading, agribusines.

In October, 1985, Chairman Elbert H. Neese, Jr. announced that the Neese family had decided to sell Beloit Corporation. "Divergent family financial interests" was given as the reason for the sale.

In February, 1986 it was announced that Harnischfeger Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin had purchased Beloit Corporation for $175 million. Harnischfeger’s president, William W.Goessel had previously been associated with Beloit for 32 years. At the time he joined Harnischfeger in 1982, he was Beloit Corporation’s Executive Vice President. Under Goessel’s leadership, Beloit Corporation took immediate steps to divest itself of its outside interests and focused it attention on expanding its role as a world leader in the design and manufacture of systems and equipment for the pulp and paper industry.

In November, 1986, John A. McKay, of Aaron, Ohio, was named Beloit Corporation’s president. He had previously been an executive with McNeil Corporation and B.F. Goodrich Company. In that same month, Beloit Corporation’s long time licensee, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tokyo, announced that they had acquired 20% of Beloit Corporation in partnership with Harnischfeger Industries,

Under John McKay’s leadership Beloit has experienced further revitalization. Increased emphasis has been placed on technical excellence and new product development. Plant facilities have been rearranged and modernized to effectively compete in a world wide market. Beloit Corporation is being prepared to enter the 21st century!

Today (1987), Beloit and its affiliates, sales offices, licensees and agents serve the forest products, pulp and paper industries around the world. Its plants are located in England, Italy, Canada, Brazil and the U.S. with licensees in Japan, India, Poland and Australia.

Total manufacturing area of all plants is 4,000,000 square feet. More than 5,500 skilled crafts persons, technicians and specialists are employed worldwide. We are indeed the pulp and paper industry’ s "Partner in Productivity".