The 1920s saw further expansion for the newly renamed American Tissue Mills. The company had two facilities in Holyoke, two in South Hadley, and the Amherst Waxed Paper Company in the Cushman village of Amherst. The latter firm would relocate to Crescent Street in Holyoke. Once the move was completed, 100 workers would be employed.
In 1925, the American Tissue Mills awarded the Pearl City plant’s expansion contract to Daniel O’Connell’s Sons of Holyoke.
More property was acquired in 1926. B. F. Perkins & Son sold its one-story building at Appleton and Winter streets to the American Tissue Company. In 1927, American Tissue took over the five-story factory on Crescent Street when B. F. Perkins & Son moved to Chicopee. The companies were closely held, with J. Lewis Perkins serving as President and a major shareholder in both. The building would facilitate the company’s Amherst Waxed Paper mill’s move and provide additional space for the American Tissue Mills.
Another storage building was constructed on the east side of Winter Street between Appleton and East Dwight streets in 1928. That building was one-story, 54 feet by 115 feet, and was built by the Casper Ranger Construction Company.
A significant event occurred on December 27, 1928, when John Lewis Perkins succumbed to double pneumonia at his Lincoln Street home.
Although his father, Benjamin Franklin Perkins, was successful in his own right, J. Lewis Perkins elevated both B. F. Perkins & Son and the Japanese, later American, Tissue Mills to new heights. He recognized the future of tissue, paper towels, crepe paper, and waxed paper items. He purchased mills and commercial land at distressed prices to increase production and storage capacity. The value of his holdings was estimated at $5 million. More on his accomplishments can be viewed in the B.F. Perkins & Son blog, which preceded this account.
Benjamin F. Perkins was named President of the company, and J. Lewis Perkins Jr., its Treasurer.
In 1930, the American Tissue Mills sought permission to construct a bridge from Appleton & Crescent Street over Appleton Street to the B&M freight yard. This would allow freight trains to haul four -wheeled trucks from the mill’s loading platform to the freight house.
The company announced it set production and sales records in 1929. Also, its 1930 orders were 25% higher than its 1929 banner year. Through laboratory work, the company added multiple colors to its crepe and wrapping papers. The production of artificial flowers made with vibrant tissue colors to resemble roses and other flowers was added to the product line. A stationer in Springfield created a large garden of paper flowers, complete with trellises and pergolas, which impressed customers. Glassine paper, waxed paper bags, and envelopes to hold napkins and tablecloths were added to production. A new machine was added to produce crepe paper, increasing total capacity to one million pounds annually.
In 1930, American Tissue Mills became an international concern when it opened a branch office in Montreal East, Quebec, Canada. This plant would not only serve Canadian customers but also avoid the tariffs imposed on American-made goods shipped to Canada.
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
Massachusetts Industries, Holyoke, The Paper City of the World, Orrah Stone, Volume II, Chapter XXVII, 1929.
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