In the mid-20th century, plastics started to become more prominent in our daily lives. Manufacturers sought less expensive, yet durable, alternatives to using wood or other materials. Adams Plastic was one of the companies in Holyoke to join in the trend, and here is its story.
The year was 1945. William (aka Will) Adams and Samuel (aka Sam) Resnic joined in partnership to found the Adams Plastics Co. Inc. The business started with nine employees and was located in a 1,500 square-foot space in the Borowsky Mill building at 549 Main Street. This was the former site of the American Thread Company, which, interestingly, will not be the last time this company will be mentioned in this essay.
Will Adams was the former manager of the Connecticut Valley Plastics Company, and Samuel Resnic was an attorney, businessman, and property investor who would later become the mayor of Holyoke. There was a point in time when Mr. Resnic was the largest individual real estate taxpayer in the city. Mr Adams was the corporate President and Atty. Resnic, its Treasurer.
At its early stage, the business manufactured knife handles. This may sound like a relatively basic product; however, Will Adams was an inventor, and his handle was unique. Plastic was mixed with wood and other ingredients, resulting in a finished product that did not warp or scratch. The trees needed were harvested from New Hampshire and Maine. The trees were over 75-year-old yellow birch and maple, and the wood was free of knots. The wood needed to be from trees that could be cut very thin for production.
At the company's inception, it had orders for one million of these handles. Within three months, the company almost doubled its floor space.
The handle's trade name was Pakkawood. The word pakka originated in India and translates to permanent.
By the end of March 1946, the company employed forty and planned to move by May 1 to the Beebe Holbrook complex, owned by the Holyoke Water Power Co., on Dwight Street, where it would have 10,000 square feet of workspace. The company would add six new molding machines to the space.
By this time, the company was producing pakkawood for use by companies making musical instruments, such as violins, accordions, and drumsticks. Pakkawood was later purchased by General Motors to replace interior metal vehicle trim.
It was exporting plastic wood as far away as Switzerland and South America. Demand was great, and a branch office employing thirty was opened on June 1, 1946, in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
In July 1953, Samuel Resnic purchased the interest of Mr. Adams, who retired. He retained his position as Treasurer. George P. Alderman, who hailed from a family that contributed significantly to the architecture of many Holyoke buildings, became Vice-President.
The company also opened a laminating division to manufacture materials it had been purchasing from other sources.
By 1954, the company had expanded six times and had 25,000 square feet of industrial space in the Beebe-Holbrook complex. In July, the company lost its local ownership when it was sold to Ekco Products Corporation of Chicago. This was the largest fabricator of housewares and bakery supplies in the country.
In May 1955, the final move would occur when Ekco Products Corp. purchased the former American Thread plant at 191 Appleton Street. This space was most recently used by the Standard Greeting Card Co., which was in the process of dissolution. Adams Plastic would now have 125,000 square feet of usable space to increase its production.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations include Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram, and Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, with publication dates and pages shown.
