LQQK> A new FB group has recently been formed for Warner & Swasey Alumni.

[Alphonse]

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[DDoug]

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"This Group is Private
Join this group to view or participate in discussions."
Not going to happen....

 

[4GSR]

Have to ask, Who is still alive that worked for W & S today???
I figured by now most all that had anything to do with W & S are dead and gone.
What do I know....

 

[RC Mech]

Legitimate question from an ignorant soul on the topic: why does W&S have an alumni section on PM?

Was W&S that large of a company compared to other American MTB’s, or what special place do they hold? If there’s some sort of colossal union busting that happened or corporate buy-out drama, I myself sure am curious.

 

[4GSR]

W & S was big at one time. They built some fine turning centers back in the 1970's early 1980's until their death. Competition killed them. Mori Seki was their biggest competitor back then. Like most machine tool builders in USA, union labor and corporate greed contributed to its death.

 

[TOM RICHARDSON]

W & S was big at one time. They built some fine turning centers back in the 1970's early 1980's until their death. Competition killed them. Mori Seki was their biggest competitor back then. Like most machine tool builders in USA, union labor and corporate greed contributed to its death.

W&S had over 8000 employees when they were purchased and the devils sold them out after buying their stock on the New York market exchange. They then started selling some of the Div. and sold the equipment. W&S had a bunch of cash in the bank; as they were one of the first company's to start leasing equipment and the devils found out about the cash in the bank. They had the main plant in Cleveland Ohio, a research center in Solon Ohio, a Gradall construction equipment plant in New Phil. Ohio; another construction equipment plant in Mn.; a Textile equipment plant in Gastonia,NC and a Machine tool mfg. plant in England. May have been more but that is all I remember. Yes some of us are still alive! They were still going strong when greed in the USA took over.

 

[Alphonse]

W&S had over 8000 employees when they were purchased and the devils sold them out after buying their stock on the New York market exchange. They then started selling some of the Div. and sold the equipment. W&S had a bunch of cash in the bank; as they were one of the first company's to start leasing equipment and the devils found out about the cash in the bank. They had the main plant in Cleveland Ohio, a research center in Solon Ohio, a Gradall construction equipment plant in New Phil. Ohio; another construction equipment plant in Mn.; a Textile equipment plant in Gastonia,NC and a Machine tool mfg. plant in England. May have been more but that is all I remember. Yes some of us are still alive! They were still going strong when greed in the USA took over.

Yes sir Tom, great sumary on W&S, and yes some of us are still allive lol. In fact, this new facebook page has twelve of us and counting. It was started by Cleveland Historian Lauren Pacini, who also worked there in the early 1960's. I believe many W&S living alumni are not to keen with the use and history of Facebook. Cheers.

 

[DDoug]

Yes sir Tom, great sumary on W&S, and yes some of us are still allive lol. In fact, this new facebook page has twelve of us and counting. It was started by Cleveland Historian Lauren Pacini, who also worked there in the early 1960's. I believe many W&S living alumni are not to keen with the use and history of Facebook. Cheers.

It's still unable to be seen by anyone other than "the twelve".....

 

[Alphonse]

It's still unable to be seen by anyone other than "the twelve".....

Yes Doug...That is because it is a private group. The person who founded this group wants it that way for his reasons. There are 14 members now, we have no problem with joining the goup.

 

[DDoug]

Yes Doug...That is because it is a privage group. The person who founded this group wants it that way for his reasons. There are 14 members now, we have no problem with joining the goup.

So why post about it here if WE can't join ?
Maybe this forum should get deleted, and you "Band of 14" can go pound sand on facebook.

 

[apoet]

Can you imagine someone posting about their university alumni Facebook page or something similar, and you getting MAD about not being able to join because you didn't go to that university? Such an odd thing to get salty about. But that's PM for you

So why post about it here if WE can't join ?
Maybe this forum should get deleted, and you "Band of 14" can go pound sand on facebook.

 

[Alphonse]

Can you imagine someone posting about their university alumni Facebook page or something similar, and you getting MAD about not being able to join because you didn't go to that university? Such an odd thing to get salty about. But that's PM for you

The founder of the FB group states on its page: This Group is for Alumni and Friends of the Warner & Swasey Company. I can understand if a person does not wan't to be questioned, screened or accepted in anyway to join a private FB group. It kinda goes against the grain of us strong willed, hard working machinists.

 

[TOM RICHARDSON]

Why get so mad. You can post here?

 

[FJsapper]

Somebody needs to do a Smithsonian type interview series with you guys. I’ve read through a ton of old literature and the prevalence of periodicals such as “my buddy” is an indicator of a positive leadership climate.

 

[pelletman]

W&S had over 8000 employees when they were purchased and the devils sold them out after buying their stock on the New York market exchange. They then started selling some of the Div. and sold the equipment. W&S had a bunch of cash in the bank; as they were one of the first company's to start leasing equipment and the devils found out about the cash in the bank. They had the main plant in Cleveland Ohio, a research center in Solon Ohio, a Gradall construction equipment plant in New Phil. Ohio; another construction equipment plant in Mn.; a Textile equipment plant in Gastonia,NC and a Machine tool mfg. plant in England. May have been more but that is all I remember. Yes some of us are still alive! They were still going strong when greed in the USA took over.

Grinding machine division on Brooks Street in Worcester MA, my dad worked there. It was formerly Norton Co Grinding machine division. I think my dad left around 77

 

[FJsapper]

Is there anyone with some solid W&S background still kicking that would like to do a podcast interview for posterity? I feel like we need to capture the knowledge and experience you guys have before it’s gone…if anyone is interested please reach out. I think I can connect you with the steel founders society podcast at a minimum.