Simonds' second Fitchburg factory - 1868 - 1906. Picture circa 1875.
1905 - growing demand for saws and knives had strained the old North Street factory to the point where it just didn't meet the company's needs any more. So, in 1904, a new construction initiative was launched to build a new all-brick factory complex around the existing wooden structure, allowing production to continue uninterrupted. The first new building of this complex was dedicated on January 6th, 1905 with a gala celebration. This new factory building was one of the first all-electrically operated plants in the United States.
Simonds' third Fitchburg factory - 1905 - 1939. Postcard circa 1915, "The Largest Saw Manufacturer In The World".
Simonds Steel Mill, Lockport, NY. Picture circa 1925.
1911 - Simonds built its own steel mill in Chicago in 1900. The success of the steel mill, coupled with the company's success, was so great that demand quickly outgrew capacity. So, in 1910, Simonds started construction on an all-new steel mill in Lockport, New York. The new mill was placed equidistant from the Fitchburg, Montreal and Chicago factories and was able to take advantage of the new, cheap electricity being generated at Niagara Falls. The first steel from this mill was rolled on January 2, 1911. The Lockport steel mill played an important role in Simonds history until it was sold in 1978.
1931 - In the late 1920s, Simonds management wanted to consolidate manufacturing into one location. At the time, two plants were operated in Fitchburg (saws and knives, files and hacksaws) as well as the plant in Chicago. In 1930, the Austin Company of Cleveland was hired to design a revolutionary new plant - a windowless, controlled conditions plant all on one level. Soon, land was purchased and the cornerstone was laid on December 20th. Construction started in early January, 1931 and was completed that spring. When the company finally occupied the plant, after the Depression, a 5-acre, single-room facility replaced 3 older plants with an accumulated 17 acres of floor space! Amazing!
Simonds' fourth Fitchburg factory - 1939 - Present. Postcard circa 1959, "The World's First Windowless Factory".