Document NebJYMrRZQZbXzXRLrJYkV17p

NEWS RELEASE THE GLIDDEN COMPANY k NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, CLEVELAND 2, OHIO* TOR THE READING RAHROAD MUUZXNX THE A. WUHEUt COMPART Today the A* Wilhelm Company ooouples 28 buildings which oarer 20 acre* la Reading, Fannsylwania. A branch or the Ollddao Oompcny, It la tha largest producer of syndicate store paints, Tarnishes and aaaaela la tha world---- a field la which tha Wilhelm Company ploaaarad la 1010. Tha atory of the Wllhela firm elaee 1910 has been a highly important chapter la tha atory of the (Hidden Company, one of tha world* a largest producers of paints, Tarnishes, lacquers, enamels and other products. But, from 1807, whan Aaron and William Wilhelm founded their paint business in Easton, Fa., to 1919, whoa it became part of Gllddea, the A* Wilhelm firm wrote Ita own suooeee story. Originally celled A* Wilhelm and Brother, the company wae mowed from Easton to Beading in 1871, where it first occupied a three-story plant at 221 Poplar street. After its renewal to heading, the young firm prospered. In 1878 william Wilhelm withdrew from the flm end Walter s. Dewle wae brought into the business. The company name was changed to A. Wilhelm A 0o. The eang>any continued to grow and by 1886 Wilhelm products nan - MJunim ucatnn - nmnu GL032O77 . Reading Railroad Magazine A. Vilhelm Company - 2 - were being sold in eight different states. Sales were steadily mounting. three years later Founder Airon Vilhelm died and the company was incorporated as The A* Vilhelm Company. Charles V. Vilhelm, son of the founder, was president and Valter S. Saris secretary end treasurer. For several years the nee corporation remained at the Poplar Street location. The two-man paint factory had groan and now was recognized as the largest paint manufacturer in pennaylvanle outside of Philadelphia. By 1901 larger quarters were needed. Ur. Charles Vilhelm, in addition to the paint faetory, had acquired a nut and bolt works located at Third and Bern streets in Reading. Be merged this company with another, removed the equipment from the plant and the Third and Bern loeation became the new home of the A. Vilhelm Company. Growth of the firm continued, in 1916 more than 110 persona were employad in the Vilhelm plant and offlea. It was during this period that Vilhelm originated 10-cent paint, Tarnish and enamel products for sale in chain end syndicate stores. The Vilhelm payroll numbered ISO in 1919 when the thriving firm became an Important part of the Gllddsn Company, under Clidden* a banner it has aohleved even greater success. The Glidden Oonq>eny itself wqs founded in 1670 as the 01idden Varnish Company, as it was known until 1917 when Adrian D. Joyce headed a syndicate which purchased the company in its entirety. Gt-D32078 Heeding Kallroed Uagwtlne A. Kilheln Coapeny - S - less then three fears later the new organisation sprang into national proadaenae through the consolidation of 16 point and varnish companies under the naaa of The Olidden Company. Included in the consolidation acre plants and marketing facilities In Canada, California, Texas, Massachusetts, Missouri and Louisiana. One of the Most Important of the net eompaaiee uas the A. Vilhelm Company Bonding, Pennsylvania. This eoosulidstlou., paradoxically^ first lad the eoepuy into the wide diversification of products for which the name Oliddsn la known. In addition to the original lias of paints and varnishes, the company nov began manufacturing arsenical poisons, insecticides, dry colors, chemicals and lin seed oil. Mr. yoyos and hie associates realised iron the outsat that certain essential ram Materials could ha manufactured fmr more cheaply than they could be purchased and that control of these rav materials would give greater strength and independence to the oeepeny. They sleo knew this would provide plants and equipment which could be utilised to make other products and to broaden the scope of their market. This policy led Clldden into such seemingly unrelated fields as paints, foods and ohemloals. Tat, each step led logically to tbs next ms, each product to the one which followed. Bov these steps developed is shows by Gllddon'e linseed oil operations. Linseed oil Is an Important raw material in paint Mid vrjmieh and in its 1019 consolidation, oliddsn acquired a linaoed oil plant located in rt. Louis. The crushing season for the manufacture of linseed oil lasted only alx months and the plant lay idle the rest of the year. Oliddsn, searching tear as operation which would keep ike plant busy the year round, discovered Its nachi&ery could be used m Brushing the dried meet of the eocoaaut into a watmtable oil. GL032079 heading Railroad Magazine A. b'ilhela Cooqjany - 4 Further experimentation revealed this vegetable oil could be further refined end isede edible, dad the paint ooapany bad entered the food business. To carry oat this refining process, tbs company bought an abandoned brewery and ita equipment, and the coooanut oil becws Margarine, hard butter, biscuit coatings sad kindred products Which are widely sold to bakeries, lbs company than aiovsd further into tbs food business. Margarine plants wars purchased in Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and on the Pacific Coset. the plants and facilities of B. Burks* fc Oo., Elmhurst, Logg Island war* acquired, ss was the punhsM Company, an old, estsbllshed dealer in shred cocoanat and other packaged goods. The entire food business then was consolidated under the awe of Burkes** Fanous Foods Ino., thus perpetuating the faawd Burkae brand nans. Zt was at this point that foods, paints aid chemicals asahed together. To take furthsr advantage of its aids grocery outlets, Ollddsn begen manufacturing powdsrod biasing, Paris green and other insecticides, gs and outgrowth of Ollddsn* s Interest in vegetable oil processing end food Manufacture, attention was drawn to the soya bean as a source of food and paint oils. After thorough investigation, the (Hidden Company constructed a large soya bean processing plant in Chicago. This plant soon was producing soya bean flour, soys bean proteins used in tbs Manufacture of plastics, paper coatings, water thinned paint and lecithin. important in the paint, wood pre serving, rubber, candy, baking and Margarine industries. GLD32080 Heading Kailxoad Kagaslna Ju U)la Company * 6 The Gliddan Cosyanys transition from paint to ehanleala, plg--nts and load la einilar. Pigments ara aa Important as linseed oil in the aanufsture of paints and (Hidden purchased a ehamieal plant in order to control its pigments. This cava the fir* its first oontaet with tbs printing business, la which eolorad pigments also ara used. Ehlte laad sane sith the purchase of tha Easton lead Co. at Boranton, Pennsylvania, and rad laad with tha purchase of the Ustala Refining Co. at Baawnd, 2nd. Thee* acquisition* started another ehala of nan products, ataong than litharge, used extensively by rubber and tarnish manufacturers; type natal and babbit; battery natal and. ooppsr pomdsr. Utilisation of tin and tine, ehieh owe to tbs load plants in scrap produets, brought tha company Into these Industries, this lad to the pur chase of sjliiC and laad nines In California and they, in turn, to tha baying of the Sacramento Valley and Eastern Railroad.. in addition to sine and lead, the nines produced snail Quantities of gold end silver. Smelters vara built to mooter these precious netela. Tha zinc beease nine oxide, used in paints and rubber. The crufts load residues vent to lead plants and sons of tha nine found its way into lithopone, an important pigment. Sines barium use required for this product, Cliddan bought barytes properties in California and began production of bariun sulphide and bleached barium. The diversified development of the company Sms naturally brought about a realignment of Olidften business. Paint and tarnish production now com prises 33 per cent of the total volume, food produets si par sent, chsmicals end pigments Id per cent and aoya products 30 per osnt. The A. Kllhalm Company of Heeding la a large and i'sportst segment. The ge&scrstl headquarters of the Clidden Company ara in Cleveland. GLD32081 Heading Hoilroad Msganlne A. Filholm Conpeny -ft- OUdAen operates paint factories in Reeding* Cleveland, Chloego* st. Louie, Rea Orleans, San Pranolsco, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto. pood plants are located in EWhnrat, Chicago* Prtlend, Berkeley, Korealk, o., and Louisville* F.y. Al under Gliddan operation are a soy*. plant in Chloego, a soap factory is Looieville, pigasmt plants In St. Helena, Collinsville, Oakland end sereaton* sine and barytes alnss In California and paint stores in nejor eitiee fro* coast to coast. Under Gliddan MMgmsnt* Reading*e ju Wilhal* ccmpmay has kept op its constant record of growth. A unified salsa plan* together with standard? iration of products and colors* have lad sales sad production figures to aaa heights, iodsy the fl8 Filhalu plants auplcy batman 400 and 800 employees who handle tsore then 25,000 tons of point products a yer. President of the Gliddan company and* therefore, of the ju Wilhelji Cospssy, le Adrian L. Joyce. Mr. yoyos Is nationally faacus for his foresight as a leader In bis industry. Hie policy of operating a widely diversified yet highly Integrated business bee been initated in may other businesses. Director of the A. bilbelu Cosipcny branch of Clidden is prod B. rickhea. A resident of Heading* ho directs the oonpany with the title of regional director. Other executive officers of the Glldden Company R* R. Horeburgh, vice president; II. B. Levenhagen, senior vice president; T7. J. t'Brien, vice president; Dwight F. Joyee* Tice president* and ? A. Petnrn, treasurer. GLD32082