The ready supply of manufactured paper, coupled with water power, a labor force, and factory space leasing opportunities, encouraged new paper-processing start-ups in Holyoke during the first half of the 20th century. One of these companies was the Miller Paper Box Company.
Henry S. Miller was very experienced in the paper business, having worked for 43 years for the Bryant Box Company in Westfield, Mass. At the age of 73, Mr. Miller joined forces with Holyoke’s James O’Connor, who had been associated with White & Wyckoff, and more recently with a Westfield concern.
Mr. Miller was the President, Treasurer and General Manager, and Mr. O’Connor was the plant Superintendent. Sanford G. Miller, the son of Henry S. Miller, was the Vice-President. Florence Brew was in charge of the office.
The business was formed and incorporated in October 1936. Its office and production work were set up at 525 Main Street in the Highland Manufacturing building. It anticipated employing 25 to 30 workers. The company, as its name implied, manufactured paper boxes, such as plain and fancy stationery boxes. It did not manufacture folding boxes.
The company experienced early success, with sales increasing each year leading into 1939. The company added retail display production, which increased sales and revenue. Sanford G. Miller became the corporate Treasurer that year, and James O’Connor rose to Vice-President.
In 1943, Louis Patten of Burlington, Vermont, accepted the position of Superintendent of Production and Manufacturing. Later that year, the Miller Paper Box Company purchased the Vermont Paper Box Company, which had employed Mr. Patten. The additional production capacity was necessary at the time because the Holyoke factory could not fulfill all its orders.
During World War II, the company also performed work for the government, manufacturing paper boxes for storing military tools. The company also added shipping and packing containers to its list of items available for sale.
In 1945, the company leased 16,000 square feet of space in the former American Thread building at 532 Main Street. The factory building was owned by Charles Belsky Co. at the time. This provided Miller Box with three times the square footage it previously had. The company had hoped to employ 75 to 100 employees.
The company fell on hard times in the early 1950s. Its assets were sold at a public auction held on June 21, 1951, ending the company’s 15 years of operation. A year later, the Miller Box Company space at 532 Main Street was leased to Salient Inc., an East Longmeadow, Mass., plastics specialties business.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
