By the mid-20th century, many paper and woolen mills were closing their doors, leaving vacancies in their wake. At times, the empty spaces were filled by start-ups or relatively new enterprises needing more square footage to accommodate business growth. This was the situation for Walter Drake Inc.
Walter Drake was born in 1911 and raised and educated in Springfield, Massachusetts. He took extension courses in business and accounting at the University of Massachusetts from 1930 to 1934 while working for a Springfield concern. In 1940, he moved to Boston to become a production manager at Bay Products Corporation and later returned to Springfield to work in the same capacity at Milton Bradley.
In September 1950, he was hired as superintendent of James Prentice's Electric Game Company located on Front Street in Holyoke. He soon became vice president of the company.
In 1954, he became the production manager at Holyoke Electric Cable Company. He was deeply involved in fundraising for the Holyoke YMCA and was appointed head of the business and industrial sector of the Holyoke Cancer Fund drive in 1956. He was also quite active with the Community Chest in its fundraising efforts.
In 1964, Walter Drake set out to form his own company and incorporated using his name as its business identity. The company began in Wilbraham and, in late July 1965, relocated its 19 employees and business operations to 662 Main Street, the former Holyoke Envelope building. The building had been purchased by Polep Brothers Realty the month prior. The Walter Drake Corp. would have 25,000 square feet of factory space.
The company initially was a custom card coating firm. Over time, the company evolved and added custom retail packaging, including clamshell, tray, and blister packages. The packages would be designed and heat-formed in either clear transparent or an array of colorful, opaque selections in all shapes and sizes. Some of its major customers included Sears, NASA, hospitals, and pharmacies.
Its primary source of revenue in its early years was derived from gift packaging. Single bows, rosettes, and assorted ties would be packaged in clear plastic with cardboard backing.
In 1969, the company relocated to 85 Sargeant Street, the former site of the failed Dickinson Paper Company and later the Philip Hano Company, which had recently moved to Springfield.
Walter Drake's son, Roderick Drake, carried forward the innovative concepts of the company. A clamshell was manufactured for a saw company to package circular saw blades for sale to do-it-yourselfers.
In 1977, the company purchased the former Dickinson Paper Company building from Holyoke Gas & Electric for $64,141. There were other tenants occupying space in the building as well.
By 1979, additional space was needed for additional equipment necessary to fulfill orders. The Walter Drake Company expanded to 60,000 square feet to meet the demand for its products. Later, 25,000 square feet of additional space was added.
Walter Drake died in 1983. It is unclear when the business was sold; however, in 1994, Walter Drake Inc. sold the real estate to WEDI Acquisitions Inc. The company continued manufacturing into 2008. In 2024, a voluntary dissolution of the corporation was registered with the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts, Holyoke Public Library.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Secretary of State's Office, Corporations Division
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
Online MapGeo, Assessors' Office, City of Holyoke, Massachusetts
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