Barry-Wehmiller history

Barry-Wehmiller builds a new plant at 4660 West Florissant Avenue in St Louis, Missouri (USA), with strategic access to railroads, moving from 21st and Walnut streets, which had housed the company since 1888.

Barry-Wehmiller reached a turning point after World War II. Due to some financial difficulties, the company hired the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen in 1949 to conduct an external audit.

Father and son would work together until 1975 when the elder Chapman died, leaving 29-year-old Bob Chapman in charge.

In 1983 the company recorded a $5.5 million loss while debt soared to almost $17 million.

Matters came to a head in the first half of 1986 when Barry-Wehmiller's losses increased further, and Citicorp was ready to call in its loans.

In 1995 four companies were brought into the fold. As a result of the contribution of these subsidiaries, Barry-Wehmiller's revenues increased to more than $160 million, a significant improvement over the $63 million recorded in 1987 when the new strategy was put in place.

Next, ABC Conveyor Company, maker of high-speed air handling systems was acquired, joined in 1991 by Denver-based Meyer Conveyair and San Francisco-based Jetstream Systems Inc.

Tampco Inc. of Tampa, Florida, maker of shrink-wrap packaging, was purchased in 1992.

Most notably, in 1998 Thiele Engineering was combined with Bemis to create a hybrid called Thiele Technologies, Inc.

The change parts division of Perplas Inc. was acquired in 2003, its assets added to Zepf, which was then merged with Pneumatic Scale.

Acquisitions continued in 2004 with the purchase of Trine Labeling Systems, which merged with Accraply; the Carr & Centritech lines of continuous flow centrifuges were added to Pneumatic Scale; and New Hampshire-based Stahlman Group, Inc., supplemented the offerings of the Design Group.

Finally, in 2005 Barry-Wehmiller beefed up Thiele with the acquisition of package equipment manufacturer Edmeyer, Inc.

Thiele bought Slidell, Inc., and Streamfeeder LLC in 2006, adding to the capabilities it could offer to the chemical, feed, seed, and other bulk material handling markets, as well as bolstering its position in commercial printing, packaging, and mail fulfillment.