During the two decades bridging the formation of The Torrington Company of Connecticut in 1917 and its dissolution in 1936 when The Torrington Company of Maine absorbed its assets, the diversified manufacturing concern grew in stature, recording notable successes and a share of failures during an era pocked by global conflict. Torrington's needle making business, an intrinsic and formative facet of the company's existence since its inception, was abandoned in 1980 after 114 years of contributing to the company's growth. St. James Press, 1996. Barker & Company--and moved beyond U.S. borders for the first time with the establishment of American Supplies Company in England. Hopson and Brooks received 100 of the 800 shares composing Excelsior Needle stock, relinquished their patent rights for $5,000, and left the realization of their invention's potential in the hands of Achille F. Migeon, Excelsior Needle's president, and Charles Alvord, the company's secretary and treasurer. Torrington Bearings. It was purchased in 2003 by the Timken Company.[4]. Howe's invention represented a historic advancement in technology to be sure, but there were critical problems with his new machine that made its usefulness not quite the labor-saving device it purported to be. Excelsior Needle continued to diversify, forming a subsidiary named Torrington Swaging Company, to manufacture spokes for bicycle wheels. All rights reserved. Beyond U.S. borders, the Torrington empire comprised manufacturing facilities in England, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, and in Japan, giving the company a sizeable presence in key international markets. Near the turn of the century, the steady growth during the 1880s and the multifarious outbursts of diversification and expansion during the 1890s had combined to create a prodigious manufacturing force with annual sales amounting to $768,000 by 1898. The Torrington Company was the largest US producer of bicycle pedals from the late 1920s thru the early 1980s that utilized their bearing design, they were the exclusive supplier to Columbia Bicycles (Pope Manufacturing) made in Westfield MA and Schwinn line of bicycles made in Chicago. Manufacturing Companies in Torrington on YP.com. Originally a sewing needle manufacturer, Torrington diversified and grew over the years, becoming a discernibly different company with each passing decade. Migeon and Alvord wasted no time in getting the business started, obtaining a two-story, 16-room building for $3,000 six days after they were elected to their posts. In pursuit of capital then, all the assets of Excelsior Needle were transferred in 1898 to The Torrington Company of Maine, organized two days prior to the transfer for just that purpose. Torrington's wholly owned subsidiary, Kilian Manufacturing Corporation, Produces lighter-duty, machined bearings. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: James Alldis House", Fafnir Bearing Plant, New Britain, Hartford County, CT, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, List of automobiles manufactured in the United States, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Torrington_Company&oldid=925028433, Companies based in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. In contrast to World War I, however, Torrington invested considerable effort toward manufacturing its new line of products--bearings. Torrington was among the pack charging that Asian and European bearing producers were selling bearings below their manufacturing cost, an illegal practice that carried into the early 1990s. • Europe: Brno and Olomouc, Czech Republic; Maromme, Moult, and Vierzon, France; Kuensebeck, Germany; and Bilbao, Spain. (This was in response to a new feature of the sewing machine industry that took shape during the 1890s: Sewing machine manufacturers, led by the Singer Company, had begun to manufacture bicycles in increasing numbers.) Torrington Forming Machinery is the leader in cold forming processes since 1865. Much, however, remained to be accomplished. In contrast to World War I, however, Torrington invested considerable effort toward manufacturing its new line of products—bearings. After the war, Torrington recorded its first debilitative blunder during the 1920s when it began selling electrically powered vacuum cleaners. Supplies Company and New York City-based C.B. Much, however, remained to be accomplished. When the two bearing producers were combined in 1985, adding Fafnir's seven manufacturing facilities to Torrington's already numerous manufacturing facilities, the result was the largest bearing manufacturing company in North America and one of the largest in the world, with total sales amounting to roughly $750 million. In 1846, Elias Howe designed an early version of the sewing machine. Later as a leading manufacturer of anti-friction bearings and a Fortune 500 company, The Torrington Company sold its products, which also included an array of metal parts and assemblies, to a variety of major global industries. The solid foundation Excelsior Needle had established during its first decade--by helping to create a new American industry&mdash′ovided a stable springboard for growth that carried the company through the 1880s and toward its first defining decade. By the mid-1870s, Excelsior Needle was churning out 30,000 sewing needles a day, six days a week, and generating approximately $75,000 a year in sales. Originally a sewing needle manufacturer, Torrington diversified and grew over the years, becoming a discernibly different company with each passing decade. Our experience and technology will ensure you the best cold forming machines and processes worldwide. Other Classes: 29/898.065, 384/523 . Excelsior Needle, meanwhile, disappeared as a distinct corporate entity, continuing on merely as the "Excelsior Plant.". It was a crude method that produced imperfect results, frequently leaving the purchasers of Howe's machine with broken needles they had pounded out by hand. This new chapter in the history of Torrington began with a decided flourish during World War II when the company once again manufactured surgical needles to supply the nation's war-time needs. Before the war, Europe, particularly England, had been the primary source for surgical needles for the United States, but when World War II broke out, the supply of surgical needles into the United States slowed to a trickle. A company called Excelsior Needle Company was organized in February 1866 to create a manufacturing concern inspired by Hopson's and Brooks' machine and what it could produce. The epiphany that forever changed Torrington's future and the answer to the company's need for new business had roots stretching back 20 years earlier, back to 1912, when Torrington had acquired a small ball bearing business through an affiliation with an automobile ignition coil and spark plug manufacturer. - Merged with Fafnir Bearing Company, a division of Textron, bringing total sales to $750 million and making Torrington the largest broad-line bearings manufacturer in the U.S.A. - Aerospace bearings were concentrated at Fafnir’s new Newington, Connecticut plant, production of other bearings reassigned to Torrington plants and its Arkadelphia, Arkansas and New Britain, … The Torrington Company and Badger Bearing Company (Torrington) appeal from a judgment entered after a jury rendered a verdict of liability and damages against it in favor of Gary Foat and his wife, Louise Foat, in a products liability and negligence cause of action. By the mid-1870s, Excelsior Needle was churning out 30,000 sewing needles a day, six days a week, and generating approximately $75,000 a year in sales. [3], Timken approaches Ingersoll-Rand to purchase the industrial side of Torrington's business but soon got interested in its entirety as it realized Torrington's automotive business was stronger than originally thought. Favorable developments came in the form of Torrington's involvement in the manufacture of steering column universal joints for the automotive industry and the continuing success of its needle bearing manufacturing business. In Wolcottville, the central part of the city of Torrington, which had been for years a hub of numerous light-manufacturing activities, Hopson and Brooks convinced seven local businessmen that their machine could produce sewing machine needle blanks superior to those already in existence. Show More... 143 employees in database. As an autonomous subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand, Torrington's second century began much as the first one had ended, with long-time Torrington officials presiding over the company's activities. The Torrington Company is a division of the Timken Company. This new chapter in the history of Torrington began with a decided flourish during World War II when the company once again manufactured surgical needles to supply the nation's war-time needs. Beyond U.S. borders, the Torrington empire comprised manufacturing facilities in England, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, and in Japan, giving the company a sizeable presence in key international markets. The Torrington Company is a manufacturer of needle roller bearings, complements. Excelsior Needle acted as the operating company of its parent company, The Torrington Company of Maine, until 1917, when the directors of both companies decided to form a single corporate entity, The Torrington Company of Connecticut. Torrington was among the pack charging that Asian and European bearing producers were selling bearings below their manufacturing cost, an illegal practice that carried into the early 1990s. Torrington Company | 16 followers on LinkedIn. Hopson and Brooks received 100 of the 800 shares composing Excelsior Needle stock, relinquished their patent rights for $5,000, and left the realization of their invention's potential in the hands of Achille F. Migeon, Excelsior Needle's president, and Charles Alvord, the company's secretary and treasurer. Non-Bearing Quality Steel Use steel that is listed as bearing quality for this particular application. 1880 – Rockwell Automation (under the name DODGE Manufacturing Company) incorporates, two years after Wallace H. Dodge began the manufacture of wood hardware specialties. A leading manufacturer of anti-friction bearings and a Fortune 500 company, The Torrington Company sold its products, which also included an array of metal parts and assemblies, to a variety of major global industries. Since the Ingersoll-Rand merger, Torrington's needle business had produced lackluster results and it was decided that both Torrington's and Ingersoll-Rand's future goals could best be accomplished without the business first launched by Migeon and Alvord. When the two bearing producers were combined in 1985, adding Fafnir's seven manufacturing facilities to Torrington's already numerous manufacturing facilities, the result was the largest bearing manufacturing company in North America and one of the largest in the world, with total sales amounting to roughly $750 million. Excelsior Needle acted as the operating company of its parent company, The Torrington Company of Maine, until 1917, when the directors of both companies decided to form a single corporate entity, The Torrington Company of Connecticut. We see them around but we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Migeon and Alvord, still heading the company after three decades, looked to expand further, but the two executors of Excelsior Needle determined that the scope of their operations exceeded the financial clout of their local community. 1866 – The Torrington Company (under the name Excelsior Needle Company) signs Articles of Association to manufacture sewing machines needles and the machinery to produce the same. Company is located in the register under the national Company number 531557. The Torrington Company. When the two bearing producers were combined, adding Fafnir’s manufacturing facilities to Torrington’s already numerous manufacturing facilities, the result was the largest bearing manufacturing company in North America and one of the largest in the … During the 1930s, the company diversified into anti-friction bearings and from that point forward evolved into the formidable force it represented during the 1990s. The addition of Fafnir provided a powerful boost to Torrington's stature as a bearing manufacturer, coming in a decade during which the company also hailed the accomplishment of significant developmental work in ceramic and sensor bearings. By the end of the 1980s, however, Torrington's situation had once again soured, as U.S. competitors in the $3 billion bearing business railed against unfair foreign competition. During the two decades following the conclusion of World War II, Torrington's bearing business evolved into the company's mainstay product line, eclipsing the fabrication of needles as the company's primary source of revenue. Originally a sewing needle manufacturer, Torrington diversified and grew over the years, becoming a discernibly different company with each passing decade. with its recent acquisition of the torrington company, timken is now a global leader in needle bearings and other motion control products. The addition of Fafnir provided a powerful boost to Torrington's stature as a bearing manufacturer, coming in a decade during which the company also hailed the accomplishment of significant developmental work in ceramic and sensor bearings. Excelsior Needle, meanwhile, disappeared as a distinct corporate entity, continuing on merely as the "Excelsior Plant.". Their machine could compress a section of steel but for what purpose and to whose interest, they were unclear. -Torrington engineer Edmund K. Brown who had been hired in 1920, developed a new type of bearing for the company, a self-contained needle bearing, a one-piece cup containing a circle of needle rollers with shaped ends, held in place by curled-in lips of the cup; it … As Torrington sought to bring a favorable conclusion to the contentious legal debate addressing unfair trade practices, the company entered the mid-1990s as a stalwart industry leader. Company. timken … Soon thereafter, the company's sales volume rose even further above that level. Migeon and Alvord wasted no time in getting the business started, obtaining a two-story, 16-room building for $3,000 six days after they were elected to their posts. Their machine could compress a section of steel but for what purpose and to whose interest, they were unclear. Spark plugs and marine engines, shipped to Torrington's subsidiary in England, and the production of 75 millimeter shells were also included in the company's war-time contributions, but unlike many other manufacturing concerns, Torrington was able to conduct business on a fairly normal level throughout the war, emerging from the war years as strong, if not stronger, than it had entered them. This legacy of success promised to serve the company well in the years to come, adding a rich history of experience to surmount whatever obstacles loomed in the future. The Torrington Company, a division of Ingersoll-Rand, supplies OEM bearing components to the automotive industry. In the decennia that followed it has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of bearings … During that time, Torrington has developed many types of needle bearings for highly specialized combat aircraft and guided missile applications.[2]. 1961 Manufacturers of machine needles, screws and bolts, spokes and nipples and needle and roller bearings. Machine designers are increasingly integrating sophisticated Seventh Axis solutions from Rollon, a Timken company, into equipment that expertly produces everything from dishwashers to drivetrains. Before the war, Europe, particularly England, had been the primary source for surgical needles for the United States, but when World War II broke out, the supply of surgical needles into the United States slowed to a trickle. The Torrington Co of Coventry was the British subsidiary of the Torrington Company of the USA.. 1889 Private company formed as Coventry Swaging Co. 1953 Name changed. One of the most significant collections at the Society is the Manufacturing History Collection which numbers in excess of 600 objects, most of which are items manufactured in Torrington from the early 19th century to the present. Founder Howard S. Hart started the company based upon the need at that time for less expensive alternatives to English and German made ball bearings. The needle roller bearings business was part of the broader Torrington acquisition Timken made in 2003. As the 1890s progressed, Excelsior Needle diversified into a number of new areas, including the manufacture of knitting machine latch needles and the manufacture of heavy hook needles used in the mass production of shoes and other leather goods. These achievements helped reduce the sting of the lamented divestment of its needle business. During the 1930s, the company diversified into anti-friction bearings and from that point forward evolved into the formidable force it represented during the 1990s. The Torrington Company was a firm that developed in Torrington, Connecticut, emerging as a rename from the Excelsior Needle Company. In pursuit of capital then, all the assets of Excelsior Needle were transferred in 1898 to The Torrington Company of Maine, organized two days prior to the transfer for just that purpose. The Fafnir ® brand of bearings traces its founding as "The Fafnir Bearing Company" in New Britain, Connecticut back in 1911. The Timken company utilized its Heavy Bearing plants and later Needle Bearing plants along with Torrington brand name was sold to JTEKT in 2009. Excelsior Needle continued to diversify, forming a subsidiary named Torrington Swaging Company, to manufacture spokes for bicycle wheels. [1] in addition to its main facilities in Torrington, it acquired a division, located in South Bend, Indiana.[2]. He developed a new type of bearing for the company--a needle bearing--that eventually predicated the bulk of Torrington's business. Migeon and Alvord, still heading the company after three decades, looked to expand further, but the two executors of Excelsior Needle determined that the scope of their operations exceeded the financial clout of their local community. Twenty years would pass before a suitable solution was found. Since the Ingersoll-Rand merger, Torrington's needle business had produced lackluster results and it was decided that both Torrington's and Ingersoll-Rand's future goals could best be accomplished without the business first launched by Migeon and Alvord. 59 Field Street Torrington, Connecticut 06790 U.S.A. (203) 482-9511 Fax: (203) 496-3642. Well maintained original and restored examples that are intended to be used in classic bicycle restoration can sell for several hundred dollars per pair. This debacle of the decade was offset by rousing success in producing wheel spokes for automobile wire wheels. He developed a new type of bearing for the company—a needle bearing—that eventually predicated the bulk of Torrington's business. Hopson and Brooks, who reacted to their discovery with a decided entrepreneurial bent, had settled by 1866 in Wolcottville, Connecticut, by which time they had determined that the marketability of their invention was not the machine itself but the products it could manufacture: sewing machine needle blanks. The incorporation date of this company is on 27th February 1996 and its headquarters can be found at 89 COMMERCIAL BLVD, TORRINGTON… By all accounts, Torrington was a thriving manufacturer—a company that had earned the respect of competitors—and now, as it mapped its course for its second century of business, it began to attract the attention of a handful of suitors intent on acquiring the venerable manufacturing concern. The pedals are named for their relative size Ex. Hopson and Brooks, who reacted to their discovery with a decided entrepreneurial bent, had settled by 1866 in Wolcottville, Connecticut, by which time they had determined that the marketability of their invention was not the machine itself but the products it could manufacture: sewing machine needle blanks. Box 685 Clayton, GA 30525 Phone: 706.782.4245 Aircraft Products, Inc. 2788 Winsted Road Torrington, CT 06790 Phone: 860.626.7800 Allpower Manufacturing Company 13141 Molette Street Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 Phone: 562.802.2640 Heim Bearings Company 60 Round Hill Road Perhaps the most notable change that occurred during the decade was a symbolic one--the first link to The Torrington Company. In 1890, before Torrington entered the scene, Excelsior Needle absorbed Springfield, Massachusetts-based National Needle Company, a competing needle manufacturer that had first opened its doors 18 years earlier, in 1873. It was a crude method that produced imperfect results, frequently leaving the purchasers of Howe's machine with broken needles they had pounded out by hand. Privacy Policy. The solid foundation Excelsior Needle had established during its first decade—by helping to create a new American industry—provided a stable springboard for growth that carried the company through the 1880s and toward its first defining decade. During the 1930s, the company diversified into anti-friction bearings and from that point forward evolved into the formidable force it represented during the 1990s. Torrington became a considerably larger bearing manufacturer when the company acquired Fafnir Bearing Company in 1985. (This was in response to a new feature of the sewing machine industry that took shape during the 1890s: Sewing machine manufacturers, led by the Singer Company, had begun to manufacture bicycles in increasing numbers.) Read the full story. the company's automotive and industrial bearing groups and steel group serve every major manufacturing industry. In 1890, before Torrington entered the scene, Excelsior Needle absorbed Springfield, Massachusetts-based National Needle Company, a competing needle manufacturer that had first opened its doors 18 years earlier, in 1873. the timken company is the world's largest manufacturer of tapered roller bearings and mechanical seamless steel tubing. Koyo Seiko was founded in 1921 by Mr. Ikeda. Excelsior Needle also acquired controlling interest in two sales organizations—Boston-based S.M. The majority of artifacts in this collection are products made at large, former industries such as the Coe Brass Company, the Torrington Company, … The two designers of the wire-compressing machine decided to leave Waterbury to find a market for their invention. In 1968 then, Torrington's management settled on Ingersoll-Rand, a diversified manufacturer of machinery, tools, and construction equipment. (1) Non-U.S. based parent company that owns subsidiaries headquartered in U.S. (2) Company still exists but is no longer in the automotive manufacturing business, This page was last edited on 7 November 2019, at 11:35. By all accounts, Torrington was a thriving manufacturer--a company that had earned the respect of competitors--and now, as it mapped its course for its second century of business, it began to attract the attention of a handful of suitors intent on acquiring the venerable manufacturing concern. Kim Kauer, the division safety engineering manager, used ReadyGo Web Course Builder (WCB) to create more than 20 OSHA-required training courses in … The business had approximately 3,400 associates and manufactured highly engineered needle roller bearings, including an extensive range of radial and thrust needle roller bearings, as well as bearing assemblies and loose needles, for automotive and industrial applications. Sales, which stood at $33.6 million in 1950, totaled $67.5 million in 1960, then shot upward to $93.4 million in 1965. Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand Company Incorporated: 1898 as The Torrington Company of Maine Employees: 11,000 … Hopson and Brooks developed and patented a machine that year described as "An Improvement in Pointing Wire for Pins," which perhaps was as specific a use for the machine as the two inventors had in mind. Two years later, when roughly 700,000 sewing machines were being manufactured each year, fueling demand for Excelsior Needle's products, the fledgling manufacturing concern had sold enough needle blanks to warrant the relocation of its operations to larger quarters closer to rail transportation. A company called Excelsior Needle Company was organized in February 1866 to create a manufacturing concern inspired by Hopson's and Brooks' machine and what it could produce. During the 1890s, Excelsior Needle diversified its business line, expanded its business overseas, and established the first of many acquisitions. As consumers, we often take for granted all the hard work that goes into building a great company. Company. This debacle of the decade was offset by rousing success in producing wheel spokes for automobile wire wheels. As an autonomous subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand, Torrington's second century began much as the first one had ended, with long-time Torrington officials presiding over the company's activities. Torrington compensated for the precipitous drop in surgical needle imports, but only at the government's request. TORRINGTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY is a business legal entity registered in compliance with the national legislation of the State of Connecticut under the legal form of Stock. By the end of the 1980s, however, Torrington's situation had once again soured, as U.S. competitors in the $3 billion bearing business railed against unfair foreign competition. In addition to bearings, Torrington's eight domestic plants were devoted to the manufacture of nuts, screws, bolts, metal specialties, spokes and nipples, drill bits, surgeon needles, hooking and felting needles, swaging machines, and a special purpose sewing machine, lending a diversity to the company's business lines that insulated it from cyclical economic conditions to a large … In the years following his discovery, the sewing needles that existed were imprecise pins of steel hammered out essentially the same way a blacksmith formed a horseshoe. Supplies Company and New York City-based C.B. The following year, Torrington celebrated two century marks by reaching its 100th anniversary in business as well as reaching over $100 million in sales. By 1868, two years after beginning business, Excelsior Needle had produced enough sewing needles to begin selling them to sewing machine manufacturers, the largest of which was the Singer Company. The wood framed structure became Excelsior Needle's first factory. Initially Torrington's ball bearing business represented a relatively small and insignificant facet of the company's business, but by the mid-1920s it had evolved into a respectably-sized manufacturing operation that produced a wide range of bearings and provided the foundation for a new, larger segment of Torrington's business in the 1930s. In 1968 the management sold the company to Ingersoll Rand. Torrington Bearing Corporation was purchased by Ingersoll-Rand in 1968 and operated under this name … Find out everything there's to know about The Torrington Company. As Torrington sought to bring a favorable conclusion to the contentious legal debate addressing unfair trade practices, the company entered the mid-1990s as a stalwart industry leader. Soon thereafter, the company's sales volume rose even further above that level. By the 1930s, the Great Depression had created a need for Torrington to search for new business, the pursuit of which led to the most defining moment in the company's history. By the 1930s, the Great Depression had created a need for Torrington to search for new business, the pursuit of which led to the most defining moment in the company's history. The Torrington Company was a firm that developed in Torrington, Connecticut, emerging as a rename from the Excelsior Needle Company. The addition of National Needle's assets and its 175 employees occurred during the same year that Excelsior Needle located to a larger factory for the second time to provide for the company's burgeoning growth. In 1935 the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of The Torrington Bearing Company of Torrington, Connecticut, and in 1937 the company’s name was changed to Bantam Bearings Corporation to better describe the various lines of bearings which was manufactured. Copyright (c) 2019 Company-Histories.com. Torrington Bearings Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Dahlonega, Georgia ... 11 followers on LinkedIn. Torrington Bearings. In the years following his discovery, the sewing needles that existed were imprecise pins of steel hammered out essentially the same way a blacksmith formed a horseshoe. On the heels of Brown's discovery came an important acquisition in 1935, when Torrington acquired the Bantam Ball Bearing Company. Torrington 10, or Torrington 20 and are considered to be a durable and excellent design. Connecticut was home to several inventive "Nutmeggers," including Samuel Colt, who developed the first revolver, Eli Whitney, whose invention of the cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry, and Elias Howe, a transplanted "Nutmegger" from neighboring Massachusetts who made his life's discovery in New Hartford, Connecticut, where he recorded the first of two landmark achievements that would launch the predecessor to The Torrington Company into business. Federal tax laws, however, stipulated that the exchange would result in the payment of capital gains tax, something the directors of the company wished to avoid, so for the next 19 years there were two Torringtons—The Torrington Company of Maine, which acted as a holding company for the second company, and The Torrington Company of Connecticut. Growth was the dominant theme during the decade, engendering a more well-rounded and financially sound company. During the two decades bridging the formation of The Torrington Company of Connecticut in 1917 and its dissolution in 1936 when The Torrington Company of Maine absorbed its assets, the diversified manufacturing concern grew in stature, recording notable successes and a share of failures during an era pocked by global conflict.