Clark Equipment Company
Encyclopedia
Clark Equipment Company was a designer, manufacturer, and seller of industrial and construction machinery and equipment.
The company moved to Buchanan, Michigan
in 1904 when that city's chamber of commerce advertised a financially sound deal with respect to industrial rent and power supply.
Eugene B. Clark, an Illinois Steel employee at the time, determined that the metallurgy of Rich Manufacturing's principal product, a railroad rail drill
named the Celfor Drill, was faulty, and also found fault with both the management and basic operations, which he ultimately corrected after the condition of him becoming an equal partner was established.
In 1916 he merged Rich Manufacturing, which by then had been renamed Celfor Tool, and Buchanan Electric Steel Company, an offshoot of the former, and formed Clark Equipment Company, named after Mr. Clark.
In 1919 a division called Clark Tructractor Company was formed. This still exists as Clark Material Handling Company
.
From the 1920s until the 1960s, Clark made many acquisitions and continued to grow as a company, but in the 1960s and again in the 1980s, many were sold.
In 1995, Clark was acquired by Ingersoll Rand
.
In 1996, Ingersoll Rand donated two tons of Clark archives to the Berrien County Historical Association
, and the Berrien County 1839 Courthouse Museum is now the Clark archives repository.
History
Clark's predecessor was the George R. Rich Manufacturing Company, founded in 1903 in Chicago, Illinois by executives of the Illinois Steel Company.The company moved to Buchanan, Michigan
Buchanan, Michigan
Buchanan is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,681 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southeast corner of Buchanan Township, about 5 miles west of Niles. It was named after James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States...
in 1904 when that city's chamber of commerce advertised a financially sound deal with respect to industrial rent and power supply.
Eugene B. Clark, an Illinois Steel employee at the time, determined that the metallurgy of Rich Manufacturing's principal product, a railroad rail drill
Drill
A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
named the Celfor Drill, was faulty, and also found fault with both the management and basic operations, which he ultimately corrected after the condition of him becoming an equal partner was established.
In 1916 he merged Rich Manufacturing, which by then had been renamed Celfor Tool, and Buchanan Electric Steel Company, an offshoot of the former, and formed Clark Equipment Company, named after Mr. Clark.
In 1919 a division called Clark Tructractor Company was formed. This still exists as Clark Material Handling Company
Clark Material Handling Company
Clark Material Handling Company is a manufacturer of forklift trucks based in Lexington, Kentucky. The company has a production plant in Changwon, South Korea. Clark currently offers some 20 different models. According to the company, there are some 350,000 Clark forklift trucks currently in...
.
From the 1920s until the 1960s, Clark made many acquisitions and continued to grow as a company, but in the 1960s and again in the 1980s, many were sold.
In 1995, Clark was acquired by Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll-Rand plc is a $13 billion global diversified industrial company founded in 1871. The Ingersoll Rand name came into use in 1905 through the combination of Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company and Rand Drill Company...
.
In 1996, Ingersoll Rand donated two tons of Clark archives to the Berrien County Historical Association
Berrien County Historical Association
The Berrien County Historical Association is a Berrien Springs, Michigan-based organization that studies the history of Berrien County, Michigan.-External links:*...
, and the Berrien County 1839 Courthouse Museum is now the Clark archives repository.
External links
- Books about Buchanan (The Southwest Michigan Store / Great Lakes Antiques Mall, Coloma, MichiganColoma, MichiganColoma is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,595 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
) - Includes a listing of books about Clark Equipment Company.