It was post-World War II, and many servicemen had fulfilled their military obligations, returning to the domestic workforce or starting new ventures. This is a story of the latter, as two former Precious Blood students who went on to Holyoke Trade School decided to start their own business.
In April 1946, George H. Girard of Pleasant Street and Albert Gourde of Park Street purchased the Hampden (Massachusetts) Screw Machine Company and moved its equipment to Holyoke. The company installed 5 screw machines and 3 lathes.
Mr. Girard was previously employed by the Worthington Pump Co. and the Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to his time in the armed service, Mr. Gourde was employed by Pratt & Whitney in Hartford and East Longmeadow.
The machines used by the company were designed to efficiently produce large quantities of precision parts. The parts were generally produced for the automotive and manufacturing industries. The machines were capable of threading metals to produce nuts, bolts, crews, and other fittings.
The pair rented a 76-by-40-foot basement space in the Rackliffe Building at 9 Suffolk Street. This was formerly the home of the Bullard Thread Company. The Rackliffe building was also home to the former Suffolk Theater.
The company had received orders from Eastern Screw Machine in Chicopee, Noma Electric Company and Soundrite Company in Holyoke.
In 1948, Albert Gourde left the company and teamed with his brother, Raymond, to purchase property at the southeast corner of Jackson and Main Streets for the construction of a gas station. Three years later, they purchased property at the northeast intersection of Main and South Canal Streets with plans to build a restaurant.
George Girard continued on as a sole proprietor, operating the Holyoke Screw Machine Company at 9 Suffolk Street. On February 28, 1961, his three-year lease expired. He moved his business to 2 Bowers Street, the site of the former Richardson Train Station.
On April 18, 1983, a fire that was determined to have been set by arson severely damaged the business and the building.
The business was incorporated on March 27, 1984, with George Girard named as President and Treasurer. According to the Articles of Incorporation, the company produced parts for transformers and other machines; manufactured screws, nuts and bolts; made components for other machines.
The business was sold in 1986 to Holyoke Screw and Bolt Inc., operated by John Thaddeus Lech and John Kucinski, both of Holyoke. The business operated until 2003, when a liquidation sale of its assets was held.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
1959 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Holyoke, Massachusetts
Secretary of State, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts
