The twenty-two-year run of manufacturing plastic products had come to an end at the 178 Sargeant Street factory building. The mill was initially constructed for the Holyoke Silk Hosiery Company in 1920, which operated for approximately eighteen years. From silk to plastics to industrial chemicals for the paper industry, this is the story of the Fleetwood Chemical Company, Inc.
On July 29, 1963, Fleetwood Chemicals Inc., a Webster, Massachusetts-based company, closed on the purchase of the plant at 178 Sargeant Street. The company, formed in 1949, relocated to Holyoke to be closer to the paper mills it served, including American Writing Company and Parsons Paper. The company produced a specialty chemical product used by paper mills.
P. J. Kennedy, a Holyoke engineering firm, was working on designs for a $25,000 renovation. It was anticipated that construction would be completed and the plant would be operational by November 1, 1963. The plant had 16 employees who would be working at the new location, with the possibility of additional staff being added.
The plant would initially occupy the basement and first two floors with an eye towards future expansion.
On October 18, 1966, a tragic event occurred. While a new gear was being replaced in a mixing tank, an explosion occurred, severely injuring five employees, one of whom later died. The force of the explosion traveled up the open staircase, breaking the adjacent windows to the top floor. For additional details, please refer to the news article below.
In November 1969, Colloids Inc. of New Jersey acquired Fleetwood Chemicals Co. The company may have continued for another year before closing. In 1971, talks began at a municipal level to purchase the building for elderly housing. In June 1972, the property was sold to Holyoke's Marken Corporation.
A year later, on May 29, 1973, the property was transferred to the Sargeant Arms Apartments Associates, a partnership, and converted to housing units for the elderly. The housing complex opened in March 1974 with a new address, 296 Oak Street.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Morning Union; publication dates and pages are shown.
Holyoke, Massachusetts, Assessors' Office
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