Document pvMXoMr348n6ReaK0KJ2jpBd

Tfca fird (odoiy o store hMag oo Chkago** West Shle, Into Ucb tts batinon oowJ boo a basenoftl shop. Hen John K. Victor prodvcod gaskeh for fho eerfy outoaotfv* (aM. years in sealing products Hob's a distinct parallel in the history of gasket and oil seal development and the 60-year growth of Victor Manufacturing and Gasket Company. John H. Victor had an idea for building a better gasket than was generally available at the time. Against the toughest odds--far he had no ready access to capital--he was determined to do sometiling about it A drilled tool and die maker, be had the manufacturing know-how, and already he owned at least one bade patent on gasket construction. Bat more so, he held the conviction there would al ways be a market for better-made sealing products. Hat was in 1809, and that's bow the Victor Manufacturing and Gasket Company was bom in an apartment boose basement shop- Later that year, still in the modest basement quarters hot now with five employees, the business was incorporated. Quickly John K. Victor took his product to the several similarly pioneering automotive builders. They liked what they saw--a new copper-asbestos gasket construction that promised tighter engine seal ing, with longer life and greater protection against blow-out It wasn't long before the Victor company became the major gasket supplier to the rapidly growing, automotive industry--and young John H. Victor's business philosophy was completely vindicated. On his better-product philosophy his company would grow--and grow it did. NEW GROWTH ERA In 1919, after two earlier expansion moves, Victor was established in its own built-to-order plant with quadrupled space. The plant was completely equipped lor quality mass production and personnel numbered about 185. But this major move was only tire beginning of a new growth era for the still young company. , While automobile manufacturing boomed, new markets across industry opened for Victor. Each new application need was a challenge to design and build the best gasket possible. Each such challenge was met with constantly improving manufacturing tech niques, quality control, and testing methods. Steel and asbestos gasket structures grew in use along with the original copper-asbestos combination. New packing materials were added. Developments In these products enlarged the company's basic patent hoMfogg OIL SEALS ADDED Early in the Ws John H. Victor was ready to ex pand into ml seal production. Again he saw the opportunity for product improvement; he wasn't satisfied that leaths: was the best sealing dement In a few short years Victor Research Laboratories-- the first in the sealing products industry--pioneered the development of tire synthetic rubber sealing dement He next decade marked wide expansion in both product lines and production techniques There was development in packings-esbestos, cork, and rubber campcsltiom. New machinery, much of it built to the company's own specification!!, replaced the old. During World War II, Victor's total facilities worked at foil capacity to keep our war machine on tim toad to victory. MORE NEW PLANTS With the war won and business booming, more plants were added to take care of the now world wide demand for Victor sealing products. These plants included a complete gasket manufacturing unit at St. Hamas, Ontario, fknd As a result of this steady growth and expansion, Victor today produces over 100,000 different sealing products--gaskets, oil seals, packings. These prod ucts are sold the world over, direct to every auto motive and machinery industry (or original equip ment--and through thousands of jobbers and whole salers for every replacement need. VMG-25-0000152 Poge 1