History
A HISTORY DATING BACK TO 1889
- In 1889, J.C. Steele, a brick manufacturer in Statesville, North Carolina, received his first patent to improve the brick making process. He founded J.C. Steele & Sons that year and the oldest of his four sons joined him in the family business.
- In 1892-1893, J.C. Steele & Sons introduced its first two auger machines.
- In 1900, the company launched “Model Number 1,” the first machine fully designed and manufactured by J.C. Steele, with production continuing up to World War II.
- Over the following 20 years, the company developed increasingly larger machines.
- In 1902, J.C. Steele exported several pieces of equipment to Mexicana de Tubos de Albanal, S.A. in Mexico City, Mexico, beginning a long history of exporting equipment and building a global customer base.
- In 1903, J.C. Steele & Sons patented their first Rotary Automatic End Cutter, which became the standard throughout the United States for its simplicity and reliability.
- In 1912, J.C. Steele turned the day-to-day management of the business over to his four sons. J.C. Steele & Sons earned recognition as one of the most important U.S. manufacturers of clay working machinery, as its equipment was simpler and easier to operate than competitive equipment.
- In 1922, the Steele family bought a small brick factory near Madison, North Carolina. Now operating as Pine Hall Brick Company, the company remains in the family and maintains J.C. Steele’s strong ties to the brick industry, providing direct experience with brick-making problems and the operation and maintenance of Steele machinery.
- In 1935, J.C. Steele, Jr. joined the company as the first member of the third generation. Preston Steele, Jr. joined in 1936, Clarence N. Steele joined in 1946 and F. Montgomery Steele joined in 1947, completing the third generation of Steele family members active in the family business.
- In 1951, J.C. Steele installed its first machine in Australia. The company’s 90AD Extruder would become the standard for Australian manufacturers, helping establish Australia as Steele’s largest international customer.
- In 1955, the company built its on-site foundry, across the street from its corporate offices and production facilities.
- In 1957, J.C. Steele & Sons global sales started to grow significantly, driven by the popularity of the new 60F extrusion and pugging machines.
- In 1965, the company installed its first INCLA IIIB.
- In the 1970s, three members of the fourth generation of the Steele family joined the company—John Steele, Rick Steele and David Steele. They each remain active today.
- In 1985, the company installed its first 36-24A Hammermill.
- In 1996, the company established J.C. Steele-Australia in Melbourne (a satellite operation in Perth opened in 2009).
- In 2001, J.C. Steele acquired the majority interest in Händle GmbH, a Mühlacker, Germany based manufacturer of premium clay working machinery in continuous operation since 1870.
- In 2008, J.C. Steele-Asia opened in Changzhou, China, to reach Asian markets.
- In 2009, J.C. Steele became a founding partner of Direxa Engineering, providing the company with the ability to deliver turnkey plant delivery.
- In 2010, two members of the fifth generation of Steeles join the company, extending the long and successful history of J.C. Steele as a family-run business.
