By Brad M. Coombs, former President of KTS Industries, Inc.; transcribed by Jeff JoslinWilliams, Smith & Co. (1867-1873); B. S. Williams & Co. (1873-1889); Williams Manufacturing Co. (1889-1904)
In January of 1867, Bradley S. Williams and his brother-in-law, Mr. Kirk Smith formed
Williams, Smith & Co. in Kalamazoo, MI. The stated purpose to manufacture windmills and “reapers, mowers or threshers”. In 1873, the two parted ways and Williams changed the name of the company to
B.S. Williams & Co. In January of 1872 William’s daughter Vina had married Homer Manvel, a Civil War veteran and successful farmer and businessman in his own right. Manvel joined the company shortly after his marriage to Vina.
By 1889, Kalamazoo was known as “The Windmill City” with a total of eight windmill factories in operation. Over 4,000 windmills were produced annually. B. S. Williams & Co. was the largest manufacturer and producing over 1,200 mills annually. The Williams’ windmills were being sold and shipped around the world, with orders coming from Europe, Australia, South Africa, Japan, and South America, as well as all over North America. Also in 1889, the company officially incorporated under the laws of the State of Michigan and changed its name once again to
Williams Manufacturing Co. Bradley’s son, Malcolm B. Williams, was named President of the company. Other products had been developed to complement the windmills, including wooden water storage tanks, wooden livestock feeder troughs, water pumps and wooden stave piping.
1889 was a pivotal year for the company in terms of its product line. The first vertical round farm storage silo (also made of wood) was produced by the company. Homer Manvel aggressively marketed the silo and soon became known as “the father of the silo business”. In 1895 he was elected President of the company. The company continued to expand and add products in the 1890s, including the manufacture of steel windmills & towers, ensilage cutters, galvanized steel cattle stanchions & water tanks, and cast-iron plumbing fixtures.
Kalamazoo Tank & Silo Co. (1904-1967); Riverside Foundry & Galvanizing Co. (1914-?)
In 1904, the company once again changed its name and became the
Kalamazoo Tank & Silo Co. and participated in the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (World’s Fair) in St. Louis, Mo. The company won a gold medal for its silos and a silver medal for its windmills. Although the silos at the World’s Fair were made out of wood, it was during this period that the company found a better material for its silos: tile blocks. This innovation led the company into the construction industry, designing and building silos, barns and other farm structures, commercial buildings (1910s), and houses (1920s). Many of these structures are still standing and in use today.
In 1903, the company partnered with two other windmill manufacturers and purchased a foundry on the banks of the Kalamazoo River in order to control the supply of parts necessary to build the windmills. Thus, the
Riverside Foundry was established. By 1914, the company had bought out the other two companies and moved a hot-dip galvanizing plant onto the premises, thereby creating the
Riverside Foundry & Galvanizing Co. The hot-dip galvanizing had been independently in use since the 1890’s and needed in order to rust-proof the steel used in the making of the windmills.
In 1913, Homer Manvel’s nephew, Manvel H. Coombs, joined the company. By 1918, he became President of the company. Young (32) Coombs was rudely greeted by a dying windmill market and the inability of the company to acquire the amount of tile blocks needed for its silo and construction businesses. Subsequent loss of sales resulted in the company purchasing a tile plant in Carbon, IN, in 1921, creating a new division, the
Kalamazoo Clay Co. In 1924, the company pioneered the use of salt-glazed tank and lining tile for the paper-making industry. This innovation developed into a multi-million dollar business for the company, building thousands of chemical holding silos and tanks for paper manufacturers all over North America for the next 60+ years.
The Kalamazoo Saw
The ensilage cutter manufacturing business ceased in 1939 and the last windmill was made in 1930 (now on display at Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village in Detroit). Although the foundry and the wooden tank business were still operating, the Depression put tile construction of buildings, houses, etc. out of business. The company decided to make metal cutting horizontal band saws. Its first saw was shipped in 1939 and World War II created a huge demand for the product. Thousands were made over the next 70+ years and the “Kalamazoo Saw” became the standard of the band saw industry.
In 1946, Manvel Coombs suddenly passed away. John S. Rockwell was elected President of the company. He ran the company until 1949, when Coombs’ son, John “Jack” Coombs was elected President. Jack Coombs was just 28 years old at the time, but his youthful energy and charismatic personality coupled with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Purdue University proved invaluable as the company roared through the 1950s and '60s developing various models of band sawing equipment. The foundry and tile silo/tank businesses continued to thrive as well, with the foundry supplying the band saw division with castings and the tile tank division specializing in products for the paper industry. The Kalamazoo Clay Co. was closed in 1961, however, and the company began buying their tile from other manufacturers. The “Wood Tank” division was also closed in 1967, as demand for wooden tanks had virtually ceased.
KTS Industries, Inc. (1967-2004)
1967 also marked the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the company, and it was felt that a name change could help the company update its image and spur its marketing and advertising efforts. The company changed its name to
KTS Industries, Inc.Startrite Saws
The Riverside Foundry (Iron Dept.) closed in 1971, with the galvanizing plant and non-ferrous (“Brass Dept.”) casting plant continuing on. In 1972, KTS entered into an agreement with the
600 Group, an English company that produced a complementary line of band sawing equipment named
Startrite Saws. The expansion of the line greatly helped the sales effort as KTS entered the 1980s. Notably, the company entered the computer age in 1978 due primarily to the efforts of Robert “Bob” Manvel Coombs, Jack’s son, who had the joined the company in 1977 after serving in the U.S. Air Force and earning his MBA from Texas Tech University.
MEP Cold Saws; KTS Vertical Band Saws; KTS Cold Saws¶
The 1980s brought many changes and turmoil to KTS. In 1980, an agreement was reached with an Italian company,
MEP Saws, similar in nature to the agreement with the 600 Group. The Italians made “circular” style or “cold” sawing equipment. A recession soon followed and KTS found itself searching for ways to increase sales and productivity. Late in 1981, the agreement with the 600 Group was terminated. KTS decided to make their own vertical band saws, and introduced them to the marketplace in mid-1983. Jack Coombs retired to Arizona in 1982. Bob Coombs was then elected President in 1983. Faced with a severe recession and declining financial status, KTS was forced to close its galvanizing plant in 1984, and the Brass Dept. followed suit in 1985. The '80s were also the beginning of the end for many paper mills across the country, and KTS’s “Tile Tank Division” began to decline as well. In 1986, after over 100 years as part of the business, the division closed. Losses and lack of sales also lead to KTS terminating its agreement with MEP in 1987. Once again, KTS decided to make their own circular saws, and new models were introduced to the market in 1988.
An improving economy in the late 1980s brought new competition. Sawing equipment from Europe and, in particular, the Pacific Rim began to take market share away from KTS and its U.S. competitors. KTS battled back with its new products and a new sales force. Jack Coombs came out of retirement and Bob Coombs resigned as President in 1989, the 50th year anniversary of the Kalamazoo Saw. Shortly thereafter, Bradley “Brad” Coombs was elected Vice-President. Brad and his sister, Jeanne Coombs Thompson began managing the business.
Kalamazoo Saw Division Sold
The years 1990-92 saw the company return to profitability, with Jack Coombs “consulting” his son and daughter from Arizona. Brad Coombs was elected President in 1991. Michael “Mike” Coombs and John Coombs, both sons of Jack, were also brought onto the Board of Directors, with Mike acting as Chairman. In 1992, the company celebrated its 125th Anniversary.
In 1994, KTS sold all its assets regarding the Kalamazoo Saw Div. to
Clausing Industrial, a machine tool manufacturer/distributor, also located in Kalamazoo. An era had ended. (Clausing continued to make the Kalamazoo Saws until 2009, when they decided to cease manufacturing operations and sell imported saws).
Unable to sell and unwilling to abandon the company’s property on the Kalamazoo River, Brad and Jeanne decided to turn the buildings/property into a business “incubator”. By 1997 the company had over twenty (20) tenants and the buildings/property had either been improved or torn down. During this period, the City of Kalamazoo approached Brad and expressed an interest in doing something with the riverfront property. In 2000, the City made an offer on the property that was rejected by KTS as being too low. Contact with the City then became nearly non-existent until 2002, when the City obtained a court order to allow soil tests to be performed on the property. In early 2003, based in part upon the soil tests showing little to no contamination (amazing after 130 some years!) the City sued KTS for eminent domain over the property. The case wound its way through the courts and negotiations between KTS and the City of Kalamazoo were on and off. A settlement was finally reached, and KTS was paid for its property and all of its extensive legal fees. Ownership of the property was finally transferred to the City of Kalamazoo on December 1, 2004.
Brad Coombs continued to file tax returns for KTS as legal issues, etc. were resolved. He and Jeanne were also able to salvage many of the historical records and items from the business. The final tax return was filed for the year 2007, thus ending the KTS story after 140 years.