The Belden Brick Company history

By 1893, 44 Ohio companies produced 292 million bricks.

In August of 1895, stockholders of the Diebold Fire Brick Company incorporated the Canton Pressed Brick Company as the successor company to the Diebold Fire & Brick Company.

William McKinley was accepted as a partner and then went on to become a US Congressman, Governor of Ohio and was elected President of the United States in 1896.

Belden, who also served a term as mayor, installed Canton’s first paved road, two blocks of what is now Cleveland Ave SW. Another Belden company, Canton Cleveland Brick, was merged in 1902 with the Metropolitan Brick Co., which was run by Harry S. Renkert, a second-generation brick maker.

They arrived in Canton in 1904 and began to pick up the ruins of the Canton Pressed Brick Company.

In 1909, L.B. Hartung became an important shareholder owning about 30% of the capital stock.

He was instrumental in the founding of the American Face Brick Association in 1912.

At the annual stockholders meeting in 1913, W.W. Irwin was elected President, Henry Belden Vice President, Paul Belden Secretary/General Manager and P.W. Hartung Treasurer.

In 1915 the directors approved the building of two new kilns and a new dryer at the Canton plant to handle increased business.

In 1916 the Company had a good stock of finished brick on hand, which was expected to be very profitable when the building season opened up in the spring.

In July 1918, the directors of The Belden Brick Company authorized the treasurer to loan Belden Face Brick Company as much money as it needed, in exchange for bonds to be held as collateral.

On July 28, 1920, L.B. Hartung was elected President of the company and B.C. Holwick was made Vice President.

Belden Brick Corporate Office, Tuscarawas and High Street Canton, Ohio 1922

In 1923, the company produced 93 million pieces.

In March 1930 The Belden-Stark Brick Company of Detroit was incorporated as a joint venture of The Belden Brick Company and Stark Ceramics Inc. for the purpose of promoting and distributing Belden Brick and Stark Ceramic products in the Detroit area.

At a special meeting in 1935, the Board of Directors elected Paul Belden Sr., President and General Manager.

In 1936 The Belden Face Brick Company became the Port Washington plant of The Belden Brick Company.

In 1945, Charles Finzer met with Paul Belden to discuss the possibility of Belden Brick taking over the Finzer Brothers Company.

Paul Belden liked the idea and in May of 1946 Belden took possession of the Finzer Brothers Clay Company.

In 1955 the Belden management showed their confidence in their company’s future by starting construction of a new plant at Sugarcreek.

Following his graduation from Bowling Green State University in the spring of 1958, David L. Hartung, the younger son of Paul W. Hartung, Sr., was employed by The Belden Brick Company as a kiln foreman at the Canton Plant in Waco working under the direction of Bill Hallas, plant superintendent.

In 1960, he moved into the headquarters office in Canton and began to assist in the customer service department where he posted inventory and spoke with customers regarding orders for Sugarcreek Plants 6 & 4.

In April 1970, the Board of Directors held an organizational meeting.

In 1973 The Belden Brick Company acquired the assets, properties and manufacturing facilities of the Moomaw Brothers at Sugarcreek.

Belden Purchases Stark Ceramics’ interest in Detroit Sales Office In March of 1974 Belden Brick had purchased Stark’s interest in the jointly owned Detroit Sales Office.

In December of 1976, the following directors comprised the board of Belden Brick: Paul B. Belden, Jr., William H. Belden, Sr., Daniel M. Belden, Richard F. Belden, Paul W. Hartung, Jr., and Burke B. Wentz.

In mid-1977, the Company was approached by Stark Ceramics with regard to the purchase of Stark’s equity in the Belden-Stark Brick Corporation of New York.

D.E. Engelbach was named Treasurer effective November 24, 1979.

By the end of 1981, the Port Washington Plant had ceased production and Empire remains an active prospect to purchase the plant and its property.

In June 1982, a letter of intent was signed by Stebbins Manufacturing to purchase the Urichsville Plant along with the inventory and supplies at cost.

In early 1983, the sale of the Port Washington Plant and its land (nearly 400 acres) is completed with Empire Coal with an agreement allowing the Company to liquidate 5 million brick equivalent of inventory.

In December 1985, The Belden-Stark Brick Corporation of New York makes it final payment to Stark Ceramics making it a “wholly-owned subsidiary” of The Belden Brick Company.

In mid-1989, the Company was studying the possibility of building a new plant and Belden Brick Sales in Detroit was looking for a new office site.

They begin to move their operation to Fraser and sell the Livernois Avenue property in Detroit in May of 1992.

In 1993, the company relocated its headquarters from Waynesburg to its lone operating plant in Mahoning County, near Alliance. ‘Whitacre-Greer is the only company in Ohio still making traditional (pressed) paving bricks,’ McAllister said.

David Hartung was elected Assistant Secretary for the corporation and continued in that role until 1996 when he was elected as Corporate Secretary succeeding Bruce Strouse, who retired in January that year.

In 1997 at the Annual Meeting, Jim Vinke is introduced to the Shareholders and Michael B. Belden is elected to take his late father’s place on the Board of Directors.

1998 sees the contract for a new plant in Sugarcreek (Plant 2), first announced by the Mayor seven years earlier, awarded to Lingl, a German manufacturer.

During 1999, as work progresses on the construction of Plant 2, Redland Brick Inc. begins to study the feasibility of a new plant at the Harmar site.

The Sugarcreek Plant 2 kiln was lit in April 2000.

Belden Executives in Industry Leadership Active In 2001, Dee Engelbach announces his intention to retire in the fourth quarter.

In February of 2002, Robert T. Belden, son of Robert F. Belden, becomes the second fifth-generation Belden to join the Company.

A third member of the fifth-generation of the Belden family, Bradley S. Belden, joins the Company on April 1, 2004.

In November of 2005, the Belden Brick board of directors established a new holding company, Belden Holding & Acquisition Company, Inc., effective at the close of business on December 31, 2005.

In August 2006, Jim Vinke retired from Redland Brick Inc., and Joe Miles succeeds as President and CEO.

In 2007, John J. Streb, Jr., son of Molly Belden Streb and the fourth member of the fifth generation of Beldens associated with the company, joined The Belden Brick Company as Environmental Technician.

Production ceases in the first quarter while shipping continues through the end of the year into 2008.

At the shareholders’ meeting in April 2009, Robert F. Belden is named CEO, retaining his title of President, while William H. Belden, Jr. remains Chairman of the Board.

Belden Brick Sales & Service of New York merges with Tri-State Brick and becomes Belden Tri-State Building Materials, effective January 1, 2010.

In April 2011, the decision was made to permanently close Sugarcreek Lanes.

In 2012, The Belden Brick Company purchased Uhrden Manufacturing, dba Tubar; Tubar’s real estate is adjacent to Plant 8 and Sugarcreek Lanes.

In 2014, Jeff Adams was named President and CEO of Redland Brick Inc. in September.

At the 2016 annual meeting, John C. Belden was named Executive Vice-President, Brian S. Belden to Vice-President/Sales & Marketing, and Bradley H. Belden the Vice-President/Administrative Services.

In 2017, the Strasburg site was sold, and at year’s end, David L. Hartung, Sr. retires after 59 years of service, matching Burke Wentz’s and Bettie Rairigh’s longevity as Belden Brick employees.

In April 2018, John J. Streb, Jr. was named Corporate Secretary, replacing David L. Hartung, Sr.

Early in 2019, Jeff Adams brings Arcitell to Sugarcreek from Hagerstown, MD, and moves it into the Tubar/Eureka building.

Consummating the sale of Redland Brick Inc. assets on February 10, 2020, Glen-Gery Brick, a subsidiary of Brickworks USA, assumed most of those assets.