Kearney and Trecker founded in 1898 by Edward J. Kearney and Theodore Trecker was a machine manufacturer based in West Allis, Wisconsin. It became one of the largest machine tool suppliers in the world.

Kearney and Trecker
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1892; 132 years ago (1892) in West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S.
FounderEdward J. Kearney and Theodore Trecker
Defunct1991 (1991)
Headquarters
West Allis
ProductsPrecision machine tools
Number of employees
2250 (1955)

History

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Kearney and Trecker - The Milwaukee No. 3-B Universal Miller

The company was founded in 1898 and their first location was above a small shop.[1] They soon became known for created milling machines and precision machine tools.[2] By 1943 they were one of the three largest milling machine manufacturers in the United States.[3]

In 1965 the company was a leading automated tool maker, and had annual sales of more than 47 million dollars. They manufactured more than 100 different boring and milling machines. They merged with the Rockwell-Standard corporation in 1965.[4]

By 1955 the company had grown to become one of the largest machine tool suppliers in the world. The factories of Kearney & Trecker covered a 95-acre compound. In 1955 they had 2,250 employees.[1]

In 1979 Kearney & Trecker merged with the Cross Company, forming Cross & Trecker, which was purchased 12 years later by Giddings & Lewis, Inc.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Tanzilo, Bobby (8 June 2021). "Urban spelunking: Seeking new life at the old Kearney & Trecker plant West Allis". On Milwaukee. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  2. ^ The Iron Age - Volume LXXXII. New York: David Williams Company. 1908. pp. 291–295.
  3. ^ Investigation of the Progress of the War Effort. Washington D.C.: United States Government. 1943. p. 1146. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Rockwell to Merge with Kearney and Trecker". The Newark Advocate. 29 March 1966. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.