Buffalo Forge Company

Buffalo Forge Company
IndustryBlacksmithing
Founded1878 (incorporated: 1900)
Defunct1993
FateAcquired
SuccessorHowden Group
Headquarters
Buffalo, New York
,
United States
ProductsForges, Drills, Fans, Machinery
OwnerWilliam F. Wendt
Websitebuffaloforgeco.

The Buffalo Forge Company was formed in 1878 to manufacture blacksmith’s forges. Their product offerings were expanded to include drilling machines in 1883, and steam engines and pumps in 1889.

History

Brothers William F. Wendt and Henry Wendt founded Buffalo Forge Company in 1878 and started selling a portable blacksmith forge.[1]

In 1903, the company absorbed all the plants of the George L. Squier Manufacturing Company. It did the same with the Buffalo Seam Pump Company in 1904.[2]

Engineering book published by the company in 1914, edited by Willis Carrier.

In 1902, Willis Carrier, an engineer at Buffalo Forge, submitted drawings for what became recognized as the world's first modern air conditioning system. In 1915, he left the company to form Carrier Engineering Corporation.[3]

The Buffalo Forge Company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1941.[4]

The Buffalo Forge Co. works, about 1899

Other products

Heating equipment, dust collectors, and a range of metal cutting and forming equipment were also manufactured by the company. In addition to being one of the largest employers in the city of Buffalo (during its heyday), Buffalo Forge operated several other plants in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Wendt family retained ownership of the company until 1941, when the ownership was broadened by a public stock offering.[5] Buffalo Forge was one of the "big three" that made blacksmith equipment in the United States. Champion and Canedy-Otto companies were the other domestic competition.

Buffalo Forge Company (Advertisement) for a mill exhauster (March, 1919)

Mergers, acquisitions & significant events

1900 Buffalo Forge was incorporated with a capitalization of $500,000.[6]
1902 Geo. L. Squier Manufacturing Company of Buffalo was purchased, opening the company up to a South and Central America market.
1941 It was decided that the company would be best served if the stock was offered on the New York Stock Exchange. A reorganization was made at that time so that The Squier Corporation, Buffalo Pumps, Inc., and the Canadian Companies became wholly owned subsidiaries of Buffalo Forge Company.
1993 Buffalo Forge was acquired by the Howden Group.
1997 Buffalo Machine Tools of Lockport, New York was created from the machine tool division of Buffalo Forge.
1999 The Howden subsidiary containing the remainder of Buffalo Forge was renamed Howden Buffalo.
2006 The company's 14-acre original manufacturing plant located at 490 Broadway St. in Buffalo was razed. This included the six story "Building 3" at 470-474 Broadway St. which was the final building to be destroyed.[7]
2010 The Howden subsidiary containing the remainder of Buffalo Forge was renamed Howden North America Inc..
2010 The Buffalo Machine Tools subsidiary containing the machine tool division of Buffalo Forge was renamed to Buffalo Machines, Inc of Lockport, New York
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References

  1. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; BUFFALO FORGE BATTLES A NEW TAKEOVER BID". New York Times. 21 January 1981.
  2. ^ "Looking Backward: Buffalo Forge". The Public. 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  3. ^ Cooper, Gail (2002). Air-conditioning America. Johns Hopkins University Press, History of Technology. 1998: 38-39. Google Books. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801871139. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  4. ^ "Buffalo Forge Co. - History | VintageMachinery.org". vintagemachinery.org. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  5. ^ Brown, Richard. "Buffalo Forge Company". Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  6. ^ "Buffalo Forge Company - History". vintagemachinery.org. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  7. ^ Buffalo Rising. "There She Goes!". Retrieved 2011-10-16.