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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



December 1, 1920 



HISTORY OF THE THERMOID RUBBER COMPANY 



T^HE sTORv 01 the growth ol the Thermoid Rubber Co. begins' 

 *■ in March. 1876. with the purchase by .Allen Magowan, then 

 superintendent of the Whitehead Brothers Rubber Co., of a 

 triangular bit of farm land on the outskirts of Trenton, approxi- 

 mately forty acres in e.\tent. Mr. Mafeowan was far-seeing in 

 his purchase, and four years later he resigned his position and 

 together with Frank A. Magowan and Spencer Alpau^h, founded 

 the firm of .Magowan, .\Ipaugh and Magowan, manufacturers 

 of rubber, each of the three partners having an equal share. 

 The triar.gular piece of farm land became the site of tlieir two 

 small buildings. The whole factory was only as large as the 

 present brake lining and calender departments of the Thermoid 

 Co., but excellence of products, not size of plant, is what builds 

 firm reputations, and the new company's belting, hose, car springs 

 and bumpers, packing, valves, and wringer rolls became well 

 known, bringing deserved success. 



A few years later the company built a factory for the manu- 

 facture of rubber carriage cloth and maintained it as the Empire 

 Rubber Co. They afterwards hoiight the plant of the Star 



radiator hose, rubber bumpers and the like. Increased produc- 

 tion demanded additional floor space and in 1915 and 1916 new 

 liuildings were added, including a two-story structure for the 

 hose and Thermoid- Hardy disk departments. Other buildings 

 have followed, until at present the plant stands as shown in 

 the illustration. 



Backing a trade mark with the lirm's integrity based the suc- 

 cess of the Thermoid Rubber Co., which has been further estab- 

 lished by a spirit of cooperation throughout the entire organiza- 

 tion that enables it to face the future with increasing optimisra 



Pi..\.\T OF THE Thermoid Rubber Comp.^ny, Trenton, New Jersey 



.Rubl,cr Co., moved the machinery of the Empire works there, 

 absorbed the business, and added mechanical rubber goods and 

 later bicycle tires to their line. About this time Mr. Alpaugh 

 sold his interests to the Magowans and the company became 

 known as the Trenton Rubber Works. In 1881 the concern was 

 incorporated as the Trenton Rubber Co. The purchase of the 

 Hamilton Rubber Co. in the early 9(ys enabled the Magowans 

 practically to monopolize the rubber business in Trenton. 



Every business suffers reverses, however, and in 1895 and the 

 two years following, one failure was weathered and a second 

 occurred. The Trenton Rubber Co. was sold to the Stokes' 

 interests, the name was changed to the Trenton Rubber Manu- 

 facturing Co., under which it was incor|X)rated. September 7, 

 1897. Under the new ownership and management the company 

 continued to grow, the most important addition to their line being 

 asbestos products. The popularity of the company's brake lining 

 increased to the extent where it became necessary to manu- 

 facture under a brand, to protect both trade and consumer. The 

 name "Thermoid" was chosen, a derivative from the Greek 

 thermn (hot), because the brake lining had demonstrate<l its 

 unique resistance to heat. This trade mark became so well known 

 that the company decided to adopt it as a firm name, and in July, 

 1909, the Trenton Rubber Manufacturing Co. became the Ther- 

 moid Rubber Co. 



The automobile industry having given the most positive proof 

 that it had become a factor in transportation and had come to 

 stay, the Thermoid Rubber Co.'s expansion policy dic- 

 tated the manufacture of such accessories as tires and tubes. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN NEW JERSEY 

 By Our Regular Correspondent 



TRENTON NOTES 



THE si.iMf in the tire industry is still being seriously felt at 

 the Trenton factories, especially where tires are the only 

 product. The stock rooms of the plants have virtually been 

 cleaned out of all grades of tires and the retail stores stocked up. 

 Rubber manufacturers do not expect, however, that the tire 

 industry will begin to show signs of activity until early spring. 

 Some of the plants have laid off a number of tire makers, while 

 others have cut down the working hours so 

 that employes can do all their work by day- 

 light, and find this a better plan than laying 

 otT tire makers. The mechanical end of the 

 rubber industry is holding its own and is ex- 

 pected to be brisk during the winter. The 

 slackening i-.p in business also affects the 

 plants where hard rubber goods are manu- 

 factured. 



.\ number of Trenton rubber manufacturers 

 were represented in the rubber divisions of the 

 l>ig iwlitical parades held in Trenton, both before 

 and after election. The United & Globe Rub- 

 ber Co. and the Globe Rubber Tire Manufac- 

 turing Co. had the largest turnouts. The 

 Thermoid Rubber Co., Esse.x Rubber Co., and 

 the Scmple Rubber Co., had many floats in the 

 line. The girl employes of the Essex com- 

 pany, dressed in white, paraded and sang 

 political songs. John S. Broughton, president 

 of the United & Globe Rubber Co., and Robert J. Stokes, secretary 

 of the Thermoid Rubber Co. were members of the Republican 

 committee in charge of the parade. 



Frederick W. Bechtel, for eighteen years associated with the 

 Empire Tire & Rubber Corporation, Trenton, as a mechanical 

 engineer, has resigned to accept a similar position with the 

 Crescent Insulated Wire & Cable Co., also of Trenton. The 

 employes of the Einpire company gathered in the main office 

 of the company and presented Mr. Bechtel with a handsome 

 gold watch as a token of the esteem in which he is held Ijy them. 

 The Department of Rubber Technology of the School of Indus- 

 trial .\rts of the city of Trenton announces a course of twenty 

 lectures by William F. Zimnierii, Ph.D., chief chemist of the 

 Howe Rublier Co., New Brunswick, formerly assistant professor 

 of chemistry in charge of the course in rubber chemistry at the 

 .Municipal University of Akron, Ohio. The course will cover the 

 history, theory and practice of the rubber industry' and is 

 intended for all in the rubber industry without technical training 

 who wish to broaden their knowledge of the general subject of 

 rubber. Lectures will be given on Tuesday and Friday evenings 

 during the months of December, January and February and 

 questions and discussions will follow each lecture. For details, 

 address Frank F. Frederick, director, The School of Industrial 

 .^rts, Trenton, New Jersey. 



A verdict of $14,630 has been awarded In the United States 

 District Court to the John E. Thropp Sons Co., Trenton, against 

 the Hardman Rubber Corporation, \ew Brunswick. The Thropp 

 company sued to recover the purchase price of equipment for 



