Document Lp4kmpRGVRj2nxqdM0xaRB6gg

an HEWS RELEASE THE GLIDDEN COMPANY k NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, CLEVELAND 2 , OHIO TOR THE BEADIHG RAILROAD MAGAZINE THE A. WILHELM COMPANY Today the A* Wilhelm Gangtany occupies 28 buildings which oarer 20 acres in Reading, Pennsylvania. A branch of the Qllddsn Coopany, it is the largest producer of syndicate store paints, varnishes and enaaels in the world--- a field in whioh the Wilhelm Coopany pioneered in 1910. The story of the Wilhelm firm since 1919 has been a highly important chapter in the story of the Glldden Company, one of the world* s largest producers of paints, varnishes, laoqusrs, enamels and other products. But, from 1357, when Aaron and William Wilhelm founded their paint business in Easton, Pa., to 1919, when it beoeme part of Glidden, the A. Wilhelm firm wrote its own success story. Originally called A. Wilhelm and Brother, the company was moved from Easton to Beading in 1871, where it first occupied a three-story plant at 221 Poplar Street. After its removal ho Reading, the young firm prospered. In 1878 William Wilhelm withdrew from the firm and Walter S. Davis waB brought into the business. The company name was changed to A. Wilhelm k, Co. The eongjany continued to grow and by 1886 Wilhelm products GtlPDEPJ N13140 Reedlap Railroad Magazine A. Wilhelm Company - 2 - vere being sold in eight different states. Sales were steadily mounting. Three years later Founder AAron Wilhelm died and the company was incorporated as The A. Wilhelm Company. Charles W. Wilhelm, son of the founder, was president and Walter S. Deris secretary and treesurer. For several years the new corporation remained at the Poplar Street location. The two-man paint factory had grown and now was recognized as the largest paint manufacturer in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia. By 1901 larger quarters were needed. Mr. Charles Wilhelm, in addition to the paint factory, had acquired a nut and bolt works located at Third and Bern streets in Reading, He merged this company with another, removed the equipment from the plant and the Third and Bern looatlon became the new home of the A. Wilhelm Company. Growth of the firm continued. In 1916 more than 110 persona were employed in the Wilhelm plunt and offiee. It was during this period that Wilhelm originated 10-cent paint. Tarnish and enamel products for sale in chain and syndicate stores. The Wilhelm payroll numbered 150 in 1919 when the thriving firm became an important part of the Glldden Company. Under Clidden's banner it has achieved even greeter aucoeas. The Glidden Company itaalf w%a founded in 1870 aa the Glldden Tarnish Company, as it waa known until 1917 when Adrian D. Joyce headed a syndicate which purchased the company in ita entirety. Cl-03207e Heading Railroad itagazln* A. fcilhela Company - 8 - Less than three yearn later the new organization aprons into national prominence through the consolidation of Id point and varnlah companies under the nose of The {Hidden Coapany. Included in the consolidation eere plants and Borketlng facilitiea In Canada, California, Texan, ttaaoachnaatta, Missouri and Louisiana. Ctee of the Boat laportent of the nee companies was the 1. Wilhelm Coapany, Reading, Pennsylvania. This eonsclldatlea, paradoxically* first lad the company into the vide diversification of products for which the noaa Olidden ia known, in addition to the original Una of paints and varnishes, the company now began manufacturing arsenical poisons, insecticides, dry colors, chemicals and lin seed oil. Hr. Joyce and hie associates realised from the outeet that certain essential raw aaterlala could be menufsetured for acre cheaply than they could be purchased and that control of these raw Baterlals would give greater strength and independence to the co^way. They also knee this would provide plants end equipment which could be utilised to aaks other products and to broaden the scope * of their oarket. Shis policy led Clldden into such seemingly unrelated fields as paints, foods and chemicals. Tat, each step lsd logically to the next one, each product to the one which followed. by Clldden*e linseed oil operations. Bov these steps developed is shown Linseed oil is an important rev material in paint and vrmlah and in its 1919 consolidation, (Hidden acquired a linseed oil plant locsted in Pt. Louis. The crushing sonsen for the manufacture of linseed oil lasted only six months and the plant lay idle th rest of the year. Clldden, searching for as operr tion which would keep the plant busy the year round, discovered its machinery could be used in crushing tbs dried Beat of the cocoanut into a vegetable oil GLD32079 loading Railroad Magazine i. isilhelm Company - 4 Further experimentation revealed this vegetable oil could be farther refined end Bade edible, lad the paint colony had entered the food business. To carry cat this refining process, the aonpany bought an abandoned brevery and its equipment, and the eoeoanut oil becaaie margarine, hard batter, biscuit coatings end kindred products vhieh are widely sold to bakeries. The eaapany then moved further into the food business. Margarine plants vers purchased in Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio snd on the Pacific Const. The plants and fseilitiss of B. Burkes a, Oo., Unburst, Loig Island vers acquired, as was the Dunham Corapany, an old, eatabllahed dealer in shred eoeoanut and other packaged goods. The entire food business then was consolidated under the none of Durkee's Famous Foods Inc., thus perpetuating the faced Durkee brand nan. It van at this point that foods, paints odd chemicals Bashed together. To take further advantage of its vide grocery outlets, Gllddan began manufacturing powdered blueing, Paris green and other insecticides, ns and outgrowth of Gllddan*a Interest in vegetable oil processing and food manufacture, attention was drawn to the eoya bean as a source of food and paint oils. After thorough investigation, the Gllddan Company constructed a large soya been processing plant in Chicago. This plant soon was producing soya bean flour, eoya been proteins used la the manufacture of plasties, paper coatings, water thinned paint and lecithin, important In the paint, wood pre serving, rubber, candy, baking and margarine industries. GLD32080 Heading Hailroad Magazine A* Pilheln Company - 5 - The (Hidden Cotapany transition Iron paint to ehanleals, pigments and lead la similar* Plgnant* are aa important aa linseed oil in the menafature of pelnta and didden purchased a ehsnieal plant In order to control lta pigments. This gave the fin its first oontaet with the printing business, in which colored pigments also are need. Chita lead ears* with the purchase of the Easton Lead Co* at Bereston, Pennsylvania, and red lead with the purohaae of the Uetala Refining Co. at Bamond, 2nd* These aaqaialtiona started another ahain of new products, among than litharge, need extensively by rubber and warniah wmaxfaetorera; type aetal and babbit; battery natal and. copper powder. trtiliaatlon of tin and sine, which eaae to tin lead plants in acrap products, brought the eanpeny Into these Industrlee. This led to the pur chase of zinc and lead nines in oalifomie and they, in turn, to the buying of the saemsento Valley and Eastern Railroad. Is addition to tine and load, the nines produced ssall quantities of gold and silver. Smelters were built to reeoper these precious netali. The zinc beease zine oxide, uaed in pelnta and rubber* The crude lead residues sent to lead plants and soar of tbs zinc found lta way into lithopons, an important pigment. Sines barton naa required for this product, Clidden bought berytea properties in California and began production of bariun sulphide end bleached bertun* The diversified development of the company baa naturally brought about a realignment of Olidden buuineas. Paint and vcrnlah production now conprises 22 per cent of the total voluna, food products 21 per eent, chemicals and pigments 16 per cent and soya products 20 per cent. The A. ttllhela Company of Beading is a large and i-rportant segment. The general headquarters of the Clidden Company are in Cleveland. GLD320 81 Heading Railroad Magazine A. Vilhelm Cocpany -ft- Glidden operatea paint factories in tassdlng, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louie, Ran Orlaens, San Francisco, Los Angeles, lilzmeapolla, Toronto, pood plants are located in Zlnhsrst, Chicago, Prtlend, Berkeley, Komlk, o., and Louisville, F.y. Also under Gliddea operation ore a soya plant in Chicago, a soap factory in Louisville, plgaeat plants in St. Helena, Collinsville, Oahland and Scranton, sine and barytes mines In California and paint stores in aejor cities froa ooaet to ooast. Under Cllddan management, Heading* s i. Wilhelm company has kept up Its constant record of growth. A unified aaloa plan, together with standard ization of products and colon, hare led aolea and production figures to new heights. Today the SB Wilhaln plants employ between 400 and 800 employees who handle wore than 88,000 teas of paint products a year. President of the Cllddan Company and, therefore, of the A. Vilhelm Company, le Adrian 0. Joyce. Ur. Joyce la nationally famous for his foresight as a leader in his Industry. His policy of operating a widely diversified yet highly integrated business has been imitated in many other businesses. Director of the A. Vilhelm Company branch of Qlidden la Trod B. Tlckhsa. A resident of Reading, he directs the ocs^>any with the title of regional director. Other executive officers of the Glidden Company are R. R Rorsburgh ice president; IU XU Lerenhagaa, senior vice president; R. 1. 0*Cries., vice president; Dwight ?. Joyce, vice president, and J. A. Petnrn, treasurer. GLD320 82