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| Jay DiSanto posted Anyone known the history of this building? Its on Roosevelt Rd. |
Leo Di Domenico Jr I think they have one of the largest drop forges in the country. [50,000 pounds (select ABOUT US -> PROCESS)]
Les Wuollett I use to put railroad cars in Kropp, Taylor Forge & Hot Point... All were fairly close to each other.
Their web design does not provide links to specific items. If you select the TOUR tab, you can access a set of videos. (Unfortunately, the "Engineering & Testing" button did not work.) It is good to know that USA still has factories that can make "big stuff."
In ABOUT US -> HISTORY they mention they had difficult times in the late 1970s and early 1980s with labor problems and general business decline that forced 25% of the forging industry to close their doors, but since 1993 they have been growing.
I don't know how many of these buildings are theirs. Obviously, some of these buildings used to be served by rail. But not anymore.
Bob Brejcha: G.E,Sunbeam,Wester Electric....
Did Kropp have anything to do with Harvey Metal Company which was in Chicago. My dad worked there in the 50s and 60s. They did stamping and forging. The plant was at maybe 79th and Ashland? Stony Island? I visited the plant from about 10 years old to when I was in my early 20s but I never paid attention to the address. Does HMC still exist?
ReplyDeleteWhen did kropp forge move into michigan
ReplyDeleteMy great-grandmothers brother Charles Kropp started the Kropp Drop forge.
ReplyDeleteHe came from Sweden.
RIP DZ
ReplyDeleteWorked as an electrician at Kropp from 79-86. My brother was a hammerman from 72 until late 80"s
DeleteSteve, was there a Kropp location somewhere on the west side? Would be an easy/west street, doing side of the street. Division? Augusta? Grand? Somewhere in that area?
Deletei worked there in that time frame in the hammershop Steve, what was your brothers name?
DeleteKropp is closing their operations mid 2022. Too bad!!
ReplyDeleteI was there today, a couple of days before they auction off the equipment. It looked like a post apocalyptic wasteland with beautiful drop forging hammers and presses. I wish I could of seen it in full operation. Too bad that most of the industrial hammers will probably be scrapped.
ReplyDeleteSad that the decision to shut us down was made once Kropp Forge merged with Canton Drop Forge. A lot of history gone. Kropp forged weapons for every American war since WW1.
DeleteI worked from 79 to 02 on maint so. Sorry to hear it's gone
DeleteMy father, 2 uncles and 1 cousin all worked for Kropp during WW2. Father retired in the1950's. I still have one of their newsletters with his picture in it.
ReplyDeleteHave you come across any one named Radogno?
DeleteIt hurts me to see this I worked there in the early eighties
DeleteI worked at Kropp in the early eighties every time I drive past it breaks my heart that it is totally gone
ReplyDeleteI found a WW2 draft card showing my great uncle worked there in 1940
ReplyDelete