Cincinnati Milling Machine Company

The Cincinnati Milling Machine Company eventually became Milacron Inc., and it was the largest machine company in the world by the 1930s.

The Cincinnati Milling Machine Company was incorporated in 1889. Its founders were Fred Holz and Frederick A. Geier. The firm made parts for various machines and tools. By 1890, the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company was selling its products across the United States and to Europe as well. It outgrew its original factory, which was located on Second Street in Cincinnati. By 1905, the company had moved to the Cincinnati suburb of Oakley. The new site was located along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Due to its strategic location, the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company prospered, earning more than two million dollars in sales per year. Over one-half of the sales were overseas.

During World War I, the United States military relied on the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company to manufacture machines capable of producing the weapons of war, including trucks, tanks, ships, and numerous other items. The firm struggled briefly upon the war's conclusion, as the demand for weapons declined. As other companies began to switch their operations back to peace-time production, the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company became the largest producer of machine tools in the United States. By the late 1930s, the company was the largest producer of machine tools in the entire world. During the Great Depression, as other firms faced bankruptcy, the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company was able to retain most of its workers and kept production at near pre-depression levels.

During World War II, the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company continued to prosper as various companies needed new machines to supply the war effort. This trend continued during the early 1950s, with the Korean War. By the 1960s, the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company began to diversify its products, helping the firm to compete with foreign manufacturers. During this same period, the company became especially known for its machines capable of making plastic products. The firm still dominates in this field today. In 1970, the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company changed its name to Cincinnati Milacron Incorporated. Now known as Milacron Inc., the company has plants across the United States as well as overseas.