Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1906 - The first Ilg factory was located in a small store front located at 20 West Kinzie, Street, Chicago, Illinois, employing nine people, Mr. Robert Ilg, his assistant and seven shop employees. The forge and blacksmith shop was located in the cellar. Ilg and his office assistant were located on the main floor, and an assembly room for the company's products were located on the second floor. Also in 1906, Ilg made contact with Mr. Samuel W. Weis for financial backing, and on November 26, 1906 the Ilg Electric Ventilating Company was founded. When the company was incorporated, Sam Weis was elected president of the company, with Robert Ilg as secretary/treasurer. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1907- The company expands product offerings by adding automatic shutters and solenoid operated shutters to the product line. To encourage the workforce, Ilg would promote his successful employee profit sharing plan, paid vacations for employees and long term of service bonus later business text books would refer to as "The Ilg Plan". Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1908 - From the Ilg company website history: In 1908 Robert A. Ilg established The ILG Electric Ventilating Company at the same address, printed merchant’s brochures, hired workers and started manufacturing fan motors and fans. The first production line included Self-Cooled Motor Propeller Fan, Variable Speed Controllers for DC Current and ILG Automatic Louvers, which enclosed in a sheet metal plenum would allow for roof mounting. These products were advertised nationwide for ventilating of office buildings, schools, churches, swimming pools and gymnasium halls, restaurants and factories. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1909 - Ilg moves: Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1910 - Trained electrical engineer John Frank is hired away from the Commonwealth Edison Company by Sam Weis to be Ilg's sales manager of the company. Frank had a long career at Ilg, elected president of the company in 1928, chairman of the board in 1956 and honorary chairman in 1964 until his death in 1966. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1911 - The first branch office is opened in New York, with Mr. George C. Breidert as president there. The Chicago location on Whiting Street expands a further four more floors in the building there. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1912 - Direct connected centrifugal fans are patented and added to the product range., and at the same time, the company is also producing it's own proprietary motors of special design having round body frames to fit in special motor supports, eliminating the need for conventional motor bases used by competitors which restricted air flow. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1913 - World War One has Ilg transitioning from civilian production to 100% war production for the U.S. Navy, Army and war production plants. The company produced ventilating equipment for the super dreadnought Arizona BB-39, who years later would survive the Japanese sneak-attack at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. battleship California, the USS Langley CV-1, the worlds first aircraft carrier, 240 "Trippi" class destroyers and many other minesweeper and supply ships. Ilg also introduced this year propeller fan steam unit heaters supplied in large numbers to automobile factories and war production plants. The second branch office is opened in Cleveland, Ohio. The USS super-dreadnought class battleship Arizona, well vented by Ilg: Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1914 - Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1915 - Meanwhile, in the Chicago factory, there are so many workers at this point that a building "Building B" was built next to the original building ("Known as Building A") to accommodate a workers cafeteria and further manufacturing work space. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1916 - Mr. Walter H. Reitz, a graduate of Armour Institute of Technology joins Ilg, coming from Curtis Lighting Company of Chicago. He remained in the sales department for 1916, then moved over to the Ilg Engineering Department to help design equipment for the United States Navy. In 1919, he transferred to the Ilg Manufacturing Department to assist in getting the badly needed products produced. His first manufacturing responsibility was material control, then production control shortly thereafter. In 1921, he became Ilg Manager of Manufacturing. When Robert Ilg retires in 1928, Rietz is made Vice President of Manufacturing. His final years with the Ilg firm are years of solid distinction: In 1956, he becomes Ilg President/Treasurer, Chairman of the Board of Ilg in 1964 and finally Honorary Chairman in 1969 until Ilg merges with Carrier in 1973. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1917 - Ilg Electric continues to lead the way with employee benefits with the creation of the Ilg Company Welfare Club, an employee organization instituted to discuss personnel policies, employee benefits and labor management concerns, also paid group life insurance, the Ilg Service Committee, which was a committee of employees to serve as liaisons between labor and management, Welfare Club and management, designed to address complaints, interpret policies and sponsor functions, a Loan Committee, to provide loans to employees in need of financial aid, a Safety Committee to study and make recommendations for plant safety and finally, a Suggestion Committee to encourage employee ideas and suggestions which, if implemented as a workable suggestion to improve operating methods, products or safety, resulted in compensation for the employee(s) responsible for them. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1918 - Business is booming for Ilg, which is expanding so quickly it becomes obvious new facilities are needed to keep up with growing legions of employees, jobs and manufacturing departments: Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1919 - The new plant is completed in May, 1919: . . The Ilg residence fan makes it's debut, document courtesy Mike Mirin: Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1920 - The new factory includes a First Aid Department, Workmen's Compensation Program, Sickness and Accident Insurance, Hospitalization and a worker's pension fund for their retirement. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1921 - Under John Frank's leadership of the sales department of Ilg, the company now has 31 factory branches and agency sales offices in the principal cities of the United States. While Ilg was a very successful company, the postwar economy and the move to the new factory forced management to reduce worker hours from 50 hours a week to 44 hours, with a temporary lay-off of 3% of some employees until the move was completed. Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1922 - An aggressive marketing/sales campaign got everyone back to work at Ilg, and ventilation products for most any application were offered. Foreign Ilg offices are established; Mr. Shato-Shozo of Tokyo, Japan and Anglo Espanola de Electricidad of Barcelona, Spain are stocking and selling Ilg products in their respective countries. . . . . Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1923 - Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1924 - Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1925 - Images courtesy Mirin Collection: Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1926 - Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1927 -. . Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1928 - Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1929 - The Great Depression begins, and even Ilg is not immune from it's effects. But sales are still being made and the products marketed, for now: Edited July 18, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kearns Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 (edited) 1930 - Edited July 19, 2023 by Mike Kearns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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