In 1936, the name Holyoke Company, Inc. was retired after the company reorganized as Holyoke Wire & Cable Company.
In 1939, Holyoke Wire and Cable Co. had the distinction of shipping one of the largest orders in the city's history by air, when a 600-pound wire cable order was delivered to Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Following the death of Harold T. Smethurst, the company's President in 1936, his widow, Clara L. K. Smethurst, was President for 10 years. In 1941, Michael X. Andrews was appointed Vice-President, a position he held until his appointment as President after Clara Smethurst's death in 1946.
The company continued to grow, employing 200 in 1942. During World War II, the company produced communication wiring for the aviation industry and walkie-talkie wiring for ground forces. Insulated wiring for military radios and radar equipment was manufactured in 1944.
In 1946, further expansion occurred. Holyoke Wire & Cable leased 8,800 square feet of the second floor of its Water Street location. It also leased an additional 3,000 square feet on the first floor, where its rubber plant was located. The expansion would result in the employment of 250 workers at the two company locations on Water Street and at 720 Main Street.
In June 1950, the company purchased an additional 16,500 square feet of land behind its Main Street plant for future expansion opportunities.
On land that it already owned, Holyoke Wire & Cable was constructing a two-story addition with 7,500 square feet of mill space on each floor. Due to automation, only 15-20 more employees would be needed to work in the new addition.
In June 1950, the company leased an additional 4,400 square feet at its Water Street facility when Valley Litho relocated to the Beebe Holbrook complex on Dwight Street. This increased Holyoke Wire & Cable's floor space to 21,000 square feet at 100 Water Street.
Holyoke Wire & Cable Company's growth and expansion were significant during the 1940s. The upward trend continued in the 1950s, with a major acquisition of factory space. Further details will be highlighted in Part 4 of this series.
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
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
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