Warner & Swasey Company

The Warner & Swasey Company was a Cleveland-based manufacturer of machine tools, instruments, and specialty equipment.







The Warner & Swasey Company was a Cleveland-based manufacturer of machine tools, instruments, and specialty equipment. It was best known for producing astronomical telescopes and turret lathes for observatories and military installations. Founded as a partnership in 1880 by Worcester Reed Warner and Ambrose Swasey, the company’s main factory was located at Carnegie Avenue and East 55th Street.

History

Warner and Swasey met as apprentices in 1866 while working at Exeter Machine Works in Exeter, New Hampshire. 1 Both later left Exeter and moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where they joined Pratt & Whitney, a machine tool manufacturer. Warner oversaw an assembly floor, while Swasey became the foreman of the gear-cutting department. 2 At Pratt & Whitney, Swasey invented the epicycloidal milling machine, which cut true theoretical curves for milling cutters used in gear manufacturing. Their work was exhibited at the Philadelphia Exposition in 1876. 22

In May 1880, Warner and Swasey resigned from Pratt & Whitney to start their own machine tool manufacturing business. 2 They initially moved to Chicago but found a shortage of skilled machinists. 3 In March 1881, they relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, and established a three-story brick factory, measuring 100 by 45 feet, along Mason Street (later renamed Carnegie Avenue) near the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railway. 11 They had to launch operations quickly to fulfill a significant order of 130 machines for the new works of the Joel Hayden Brass Company in Lorain.

The partners earned medals for their lathes at the Paris World Expositions of 1889 and 1893. 22

For the next 20 years, Warner and Swasey operated without a formal corporate agreement, producing lathes, milling machines, and telescopes. 4 11

20th Century

Swasey and Warner reorganized their company as The Warner & Swasey Company in 1900. 5 The newly structured company placed greater emphasis on the production of turret lathes, which proved highly profitable. It quickly developed lathes for the plumbing industry to meet the growing demand for indoor fixtures. 22 Later applications included early automobiles, farm machinery, and airplanes.

In 1904, a five-story addition was built west of the original structure. 22 The original building was demolished in 1908 to make way for a five-story extension of the 1904 addition. Subsequent expansions followed, eventually covering 22 acres and 950,000 square feet, including developments on the south side of Carnegie Avenue.

By 1928, Warner & Swasey had become the world’s largest manufacturer of turret lathes and related equipment. 8

During World War I and World War II, Warner & Swasey converted its production facilities entirely to turret lathe manufacturing, playing a significant role in both conflicts. 7 8 9 In 1941, an addition at East 55th Street and Carnegie Avenue was built to expand production. 22 By the end of World War II, Warner & Swasey employed nearly 7,000 workers. 7 8 9

In the 1950s, the company shifted focus to construction and materials handling equipment, as well as textile machinery. 8 13 By 1965, it employed 2,000 workers, many at its machine tool division plant on Carnegie Avenue.

On January 17, 1968, Warner & Swasey announced plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from the machine tool division plant to a new facility at the University Circle Research Center. 12 It leased the entire third floor of a $3.5 million building at 1100 Cedar Avenue.

In February 1968, the company established an electronic products division to focus on electronic control systems and related equipment. 13 The following month, it opened a new plant at 30300 Solon Industrial Parkway in Solon, its third major facility in the city, alongside the Research & Development Center. The new complex produced turning centers, which shape metal parts by rotating them rapidly against the edge of a cutting tool, among other equipment. 9

Consolidation

By the 1970s, competition from Japan and Taiwan began to erode Warner & Swasey’s market share, leading to financial difficulties. 9

To remain competitive, Warner & Swasey was acquired by Bendix Automation in 1980 for $300 million, 19 becoming the Warner & Swasey Division. 14 Bendix integrated the company’s manufacturing, sales, service, and technical departments into its operations, shifting the division’s focus toward high-tech and automated manufacturing solutions.

In 1983, the company introduced the WSC-8E7, a stand-alone, unmanned manufacturing system designed to integrate within factory operations. It served as a bridge between stand-alone turning machines and fully automated systems. That year, Warner & Swasey released two additional products, including an updated version of a 1960s machine that originally contained 132 gears and shafts but was redesigned as a single integrated unit with only six moving parts.

In August 1982, Bendix launched a hostile takeover bid for Martin Marietta. The effort ended two months later when Allied took over Bendix, forming the Bendix Division. Allied also acquired a 38% stake in Martin Marietta. 15

By November 1982, Warner & Swasey reported a sharp decline in profits. 20 In response, the division implemented a survival plan that consolidated office space at its Carnegie Avenue plant. It also moved some product lines to Japan, closed a small plant in Tennessee, and began aggressively marketing its high-technology products. By the end of 1983, 31% of the company’s sales came from products developed since 1982. 14

In February 1984, Allied agreed to sell the struggling Bendix division to Cross & Trecker for $74 million, forming the world’s largest machine tool company. 16 17 Cross & Trecker also acquired LaSalle Machine Tool from National Acme of Cleveland for $13 million. 17

Closure

Like Allied before it, Cross & Trecker faced declining orders, weak prices, and increasing foreign competition. 17 A downturn in automobile manufacturing, which accounted for 40% of the company’s sales, further strained its finances. Despite a cost reduction program that saved $12 million, Cross & Trecker reported a net loss of $2.9 million in the fourth quarter of 1986, a stark contrast to its $2.6 million profit from the previous year. However, the company continued investing heavily in research and development for new product lines.

In June 1985, Cross & Trecker announced the relocation of its Turning Division from the Carnegie Avenue plant to Solon, as the Carnegie facility had become too large for its needs. 18 All 325 employees were offered positions at the new location. By 1988, Cross & Trecker’s Carnegie Avenue operations employed 500 workers. 9

The corporate offices of Warner & Swasey, later used for Cross & Trecker’s Warner & Swasey Division, were moved to Cross & Trecker’s headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. 19 Some functions remained in Cleveland, but in June 1989, the remaining offices were relocated to Warner & Swasey’s factory in Solon.

Cross & Trecker was later acquired by Giddings & Lewis, a Wisconsin-based tool company. In January 1992, Giddings & Lewis closed the Solon factory in response to $100 million in losses from 1988 to 1991, leaving 250 employees out of work. 6 9 The company attributed the closure to competition from overseas imports, which accounted for 70% of the domestic market. 9

Reuse

In 1988, Cuyahoga County considered repurposing the Warner & Swasey facility on Carnegie Avenue for its Health and Human Services Department and a 408-cell county jail annex. However, the building’s layout was deemed too inefficient for such uses. 21

The city of Cleveland took ownership of the property in 1991 and proposed converting the abandoned factory into a municipal center. 6 The plan never materialized, though the western section was repurposed as a garage for idled city vehicles.

In 2010, the city sought proposals from developers to rehabilitate the Warner & Swasey complex. 10 Hemingway Development, a division of the Geis Companies, won the bid and entered into a $1 sale agreement with plans to convert the buildings into a high-tech office, laboratory, and manufacturing center. 6 10

The city contributed $35,000 for an environmental study 7 and began asbestos remediation at a cost of $1.3 million. 6 At the same time, it secured commitments for up to $13 million in federal funds—$10 million in low-interest loans and a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The federal funding, however, was contingent on job creation, requiring the project to generate 360 jobs to qualify for the full amount.

Delays in asbestos remediation, combined with a weakening commercial market and higher-than-expected renovation costs, led Hemingway Development to withdraw from the project. 6 10

In January 2014, the city again solicited redevelopment proposals, hoping to capitalize on a stronger real estate market. 10 However, interest remained limited.

In 2018, the city selected Philadelphia-based Pennrose Development to lead the redevelopment of the Warner & Swasey complex. 23 The company submitted the necessary permits for demolition and renovation as part of the project’s first phase.

Pennrose’s plan included ground-floor commercial space, a lobby, and various amenities. 23 The second and third floors were designated for 56 units of senior housing. Due to structural issues, the existing open-air sheds and an interconnected structure known as Shed 6 were slated for removal, making way for 80 parking spaces. Additional first-phase work included exterior masonry restoration, window and roof replacements, new elevators, interior upgrades, and modernized mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology systems.

A second phase would add another 56 housing units on the fourth and fifth floors, bringing the total cost of both phases to $36 million. 23 A third phase proposed 28 additional units in the Wedge Building on the north side of the facility.



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Sources

  1. Warner & Swasey Company. Cleveland: Warner & Swasey Company, 1930: 9, 11 Print.
  2. Warner & Swasey Company. Cleveland: Warner & Swasey Company, 1930: 10 Print.
  3. Warner & Swasey Company. Cleveland: Warner & Swasey Company, 1930: 13 Print.
  4. Warner & Swasey Company. Cleveland: Warner & Swasey Company, 1930: 1, 14 Print.
  5. Warner & Swasey Company. Cleveland: Warner & Swasey Company, 1930: 15 Print.
  6. McFee, Michelle Jarboe. “Cleveland Seeks Bids for Warner & Swasey Complex in Midtown, after 2010 Rehab Deal Fizzles.”Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 17 Jan. 2014. Web.
  7. McFee, Michelle Jarboe. “Cleveland’s abandoned Warner & Swasey complex could become a tech center.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 27 May 2010. Web.
  8. “Warner & Swasey Co.” WARNER & SWASEY CO. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University, 13 May 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
  9. GERDEL, THOMAS W.. “WARNER & SWASEY TOOL FACILITY TO SHUT DOWN; ENDS 110-YEAR ERA.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 16 Nov. 1991, FINAL / ALL, BUSINESS: 1F. NewsBank. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
  10. Michelle Jarboe. “Cleveland seeks new round of bids to restore complex from F1.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 19 Jan. 2014, F: 001. NewsBank. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
  11. “Manufacturers Coming to Cleveland.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 28 Mar. 1881: 4. Print.
  12. “Warner & Swasey Plans to Move.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 18 Jan. 1968: 5. Print.
  13. Cleary, John J. “Warner & Swasey Starts New Electronic Division.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 6 Feb. 1968: 24. Print.
  14. “W&S ‘thinks way to future’.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 13 Dec. 1983: 28. Print.
  15. “Bendix Corp., a subsidiary of Allied Corp., Friday reported.” United Press International 4 Nov. 1983. Print.
  16. “Allied Agrees to Sell Bendix Automation.” Toledo Blade 8 Feb. 1984: 31. Print.
  17. “MACHINE-TOOL GIANTS DIVERGE; MILACRON INNOVATES…CROSS STREAMLINES.” New York Times 9 Feb. 1987. Print.
  18. Crowley, Mary Ellen. “Warner & Swasey to head for Solon.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 21 June 1985. Print. [RELOAD]
  19. Gerdel, Thomas W. “Warner & Swasey’s parent company plans costly restructuring.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 23 Aug. 1989: 79. Print.
  20. Sullivan, Elizabeth. “W&S plans to keep its plant here.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 30 Dec. 1982: 1A, 4B. Print.
  21. “Then there were five.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 26 May 1988: 10B. Print.
  22. Herrick, Clay, Jr. “Warner & Swasey Co.” Cleveland Landmarks, 4th ed., Cleveland, Landmarks, 1996, pp. 182-83.
  23. Prendergast, Ken. “Long-sought Midtown developments have a pulse.” NEOtrans, 21 Jan. 2025.

11 Comments

  1. GREG CRANFORD
    May 11, 2023
    Reply

    My father attended the Warner & Swasey Textile Pin and Servo Drafter in cleveland in the 1970’s; I have both of the manuals; should anyone be interested.

    • Lynn
      September 6, 2024
      Reply

      would be interested in ther manuals

  2. Warren Charles Henderson
    December 12, 2017
    Reply

    Ambrose Swasey was my great great uncle. He took a shine to my grandfather (Warren J. Henderson), paid for him to get an engineering degree from MIT in 1933, then put him to work for Warner & Swasey in Cleveland. Most of my Dad’s side of the family moved to Cleveland, where my parents met and married and where I was born. Upon his death in 1937 Mr. Swasey bequeathed the bulk of his estate to my grandparents (my grandmother Leona Day Henderson was Mr. Swasey’s niece). Ambrose Swasey spent much of his leisure time in Exeter, NH where he was born and raised. He made many significant civic improvements in the community, which still holds him in high esteem. He renovated and relocated his childhood home in Exeter, naming it “Fort Rock Farm” after an historic rock formation on the property. My grandparents moved into the Farm and it became the focus of our family until it was sold a few years ago. We owned it for 170 years. My Dad (Warren Swasey Henderson) was an enthusiastic genealogist. He accumulated a huge amount of historic information on Mr. Swasey, on Warner & Swasey and on other ancestors in the Swasey family. It was because of his work that we know as much as we do about my great great uncle. I envy those of you who have specific memories of Warner and Swasey in Cleveland. That was before my time. I never knew Ambrose Swasey personally of course (I was born in 1953). The last person in our family who knew Mr. Swasey personally, my aunt and Mr. Swasey’s great niece Phyllis Henderson Carey, died about a year ago. She spoke often of visiting Mr. Swasey at Fort Rock Farm (she, my Dad and their parents lived across the street). She remembered sitting on Mr. Swasey’s knee while he read books to her.

    • James Thompson
      October 6, 2022
      Reply

      Thanks for sharing. My first job in machine tool industry was with Bendix/Warner&Swasey in 1980 as sales trainee apprentice. I have extremely fond memories of the company and those who worked there. Very innovative company. I have a brick from the original building as a memento. I wish could find a very old turret lathe to restore. Anything else you are willing to share please free to send me a letter. Sincerely, James Thompson 367 Patton Drive Springboro, Ohio 45066

  3. Mike German
    September 23, 2017
    Reply

    My father Martin A German gave his life to this company, he started at Balas Collete in Cleveland, he made a lot of positive moves for the Company by the upper management never listened . I grew up moving from Ohio to Massachusetts then back to Ohio then he had enough and moved on to a company that believed in him ,I miss my dad , Mike German

  4. Dwight Burdette
    February 27, 2017
    Reply

    What I remember about Warner & Swasey was that as a teenager growing up in Cleveland in the 1960s who frequented the school library, Warner & Swasey ran full-pge ads on the first page inside the front cover of “U.S. News & World Report.” These ads promoted a laissez-faire political philosophy. I remember this because I thought it was notable that the company was based in Cleveland. My memory may be faulty, but I recall the company only advertised in “U.S. News & World Report” and not “Time” or “Newsweek.”

    • Pris Miller
      May 11, 2017
      Reply

      Yes, they did advertise in Newsweek in 1966 & 67, and even published collections of these ads. I was a Newsweek subscriber in Seattle at the time and was so impressed with the ads that I cut their pages out of the magazines and saved them! I even wrote to W&S to let them know I liked the ads, and got a letter dated 5/25/67 from the marketing director thanking me, and enclosing a booklet of selected reprints of their ads from 3/58 thru 4/66, several of which I already had. I often wondered what became of W&S and thanks to Abandoned now I know.

      In 1969 I married into a family that subscribed to Time, so I switched because I realized that it was more in line with my political ideas than Newsweek. The only Republican I ever voted for was Eisenhower, when I was a naive 18 and not yet a Democrat.

      Now I’m giving my entire W&S collection to my cousin because she’s a Republican (albeit now a somewhat disillusioned one) and will provide a more appropriate home for it. Unfortunately, she lost her husband last year; he would have really liked the ads!

      • James Earl Wynne
        December 14, 2020
        Reply

        How can I get a copy of the ads?

      • James Thompson
        October 6, 2022
        Reply

        If your cousin ever decides she doesn’t want them I would be willing to buy them. I remember the ads were made to be thought provoking. James Thompson 367 Patton Drive Springboro, Ohio 45066. Bendix/ Warner & Swasey 1980

  5. John A. Maletic
    February 21, 2017
    Reply

    I worked at Warner & Swasey from 1972 until the closing of the Carnegie plant in 1982. When I started there. I figured I’d retire from there someday. Thanks to bad management, that never happened. It was a great place to work and I was fortunate to have made some great friendships with the people there.

  6. Alma Carten
    February 12, 2017
    Reply

    My dad work there for many years. As a child I participated in events sponsored for families and as a college student completed and assignment there for my organizational psychology class. My dad, Conine Lee Jackson, was a union member, and W&S made it possible for him to give his family a middle class life, he worked there until his retirement, I have many fond memories of his storise and experiences at the company!
    Cheers,
    Alma Jackson Carten

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