The Grimes Manufacturing Company was an American manufacturer of aircraft lighting systems located in Urbana, Ohio.
 | |
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1933 |
| Founder | Warren G. Grimes |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Fate | Purchased by Allied Signal |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of employees | 1,250[1] (1977) |
| Parent |
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History
editThe Grimes Manufacturing Company was founded by Warren G. Grimes in 1933.
During World War II, the company built an additional building to handle the increased production.[2] At the same time, it built Grimes Field, which it continued to operate until 1987.[3] It again expanded in 1966, when construction began on a new 42,000 square foot addition.[4]
From the 1960s to the 1980s, the company operated a Beech 18 called the Grimes Flying Lab to test its lights.[5][6]
In 1977, Grimes was purchased by the Midland-Ross Corporation.[7] Less than two years later Midland-Ross announced its intention to purchase a building at the Greenwood County Airport in Greenwood, South Carolina for the manufacturing operations of Grimes.[8] Then, in 1981, Midland-Ross acquired the Mansfield Aircraft Products Company and made it a subsidiary of what was by then the Grimes Division.[9] The division was restructured in 1982, with it being split into Grimes Galley Products, Grimes Lighting Products, and Grimes EL Products.[10] The Grimes Galley unit closed two years later.[11] Following a consolidation in 1991, the company reemerged as Grimes Aerospace.[12] In 1992, construction began on a 20,000 square foot expansion of the Greenwood facility.[13]
It was purchased by AlliedSignal in 1997.[14] The sale would later be questioned after it was revealed that AlliedSignal pressured credit ratings companies to ignore the unrated bonds of Grimes investors.[15] AlliedSignal, which would later become Honeywell, maintains as presence at two separate locations in Urbana.[16]
See also
editReferences
editNotes
edit- ^ Platt, Brainard (7 September 1977). "Midland-Ross Buying Grimes Manufacturing". The Journal Herald. p. 17. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Then & Now: White-Valentine Broom Factory/Grimes Manufacturing". Champaign County Historical Society. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Allbaugh, Dave (15 November 1986). "Questions Surround Small Urbana Airport as Lease Nears End". Dayton Daily News and Journal Herald. p. 18. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Robbins, Fred (19 August 1966). "Work to Start on Grimes Building". Dayton Daily News. p. 47. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Wood, Janice (4 November 2009). "The Grimes Flying Lab". General Aviation News. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Miller, Alyssa J. (17 May 2012). "UFO a Flying Mistress". AOPA. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Midland-Ross Corp. Acquires Grimes Manufacturing Co". Dawson Springs Progress. 22 September 1977. p. 6. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Mansfield, Duncan (2 May 1979). "County Attracts Another Industry". Greenville News. p. 1-B. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Plant which Lost Top Officers in Plane Crash Sold to Cleveland Firm". News Journal. 21 February 1981. p. 3. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Grimes Division of Midland Ross will Restructure into Three Units". News Journal. 24 December 1982. p. 9-B. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Jakubick, Cynthia (30 June 1985). "Catching Up on the Year Since Midland-Ross Closed". News Journal. p. 1-C. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "Grimes Announces Consolidation". The Index-Journal. 23 April 1991. pp. 11, 17. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Ellison-Rider, Elaine (1 May 1992). "Grimes Aerospace to Expand Plant at Greenwood Airport". The News. p. 1C. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ "AlliedSignal to Buy Grimes Aerospace". Daily Record. AP. 19 June 1997. p. C1. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Klein, Alex (25 November 2004). "Company May Have Pressed Credit Raters". Sacramento Bee. Washington Post. p. D7. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Keeran, Joshua (4 October 2015). "Triad students tour Honeywell Aerospace's Urbana facilities". Urbana Daily Citizen. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
Bibliography
edit- Patzer, Nancy (10 September 2015). "A Light in the Sky: Warren G. Grimes and the History of Aviation Lighting". SlideShare. Retrieved 11 August 2021.