Banner 1-6-2022

The Hastings Banner — Thursday, January 6, 2022 — Page 7

Tyden supported piston ring business

This column for the past several weeks has
put the spotlight on Emil Tyden, a Swedish-
born inventor and industrialist who contribut-
ed greatly to the economic health of Hastings
and Barry County. He personally launched
major factories here and was part of a consor-
tium of businessmen who fostered other indus-
tries. The piston ring division of Hastings
Manufacturing Co. falls into the latter catego-
ry. Aben Johnson, as Marshall L. Cook wrote
for the following March 13, 1941, Banner
article, was the go-getter who built up the pis-
ton ring business, but Emil Tyden was readily
available for advice or consultation. And Cook
noted that Tyden’s Seal Co. financed Hastings
Mfg. Co. as it grew and expanded.

Aben Johnson had great opportunity

to build up big piston ring business

Manufacturing Co. made great strides

in late 1930s

M.L. Cook
When his own judgment as to the advis-
ability of the Manufacturing Co. making pis-
ton rings was confirmed by that of Mr. Tyden,
Aben Johnson, who had managed the busi-
ness of the Hastings Manufacturing Co. from
the start, made plans to have the company
embark in this new line manufacture.
The local field was clear, because the two
men who started the plant in the Goodyear
Woods factory [likely not far from where
Northeastern Elementary now sits] had aban-
doned it and given up the business. However,
it was much more difficult for the Manufacturing
Co. to build up a trade in piston rings than it
otherwise would have been, because of the
imperfect rings made in the Goodyear Woods
plant, which had been marketed by the
Manufacturing Company and had created con-
siderable prejudice that was not easily over-
come. Therefore, great care was taken to have
the piston rings made by the Manufacturing
Co. meet the requirements of the trade.
Mr. Johnson was fortunate in having avail-
able the excellent mechanical talent employed
by the Seal Co., which was of much assis-
tance in the starting of this new line of manu-
facture in a satisfactory manner. Mr. Johnson
soon perfected an organization to handle the
mechanical end of the new business and
began building up a selling organization also.
The trade increased, and new machines had
to be added to care for the growing business. It
steadily increased and outgrew the space avail-
able for it in the old Press and Tool Company
plant. Mr. Johnson had before this purchased
the writer’s interest in the Manufacturing Co.
and thus owned the controlling interest in the
business. The development of the piston ring

business by the company required more and

more of the time of its manager. It was now

evident that there were splendid possibilities

for growth of the Manufacturing Co. in this

new field. It could not expand in Plant No. 2

for, in the meantime, the Viking Corporation

had been located there, and the increasing

demand for that company’s products called for

more and more space in that building.

Then something was done that meant much

to the Manufacturing Co. as well as to

Hastings. About nine years ago, $200,000 of

a Class A or preferred stock in the

Manufacturing Co. was sold to citizens of

Hastings, of which about $150,000 was sub-

scribed by Mr. Johnson, Mr. Tyden and their

associates in the Seal, Table and Viking com-

panies. This called for a new plant. The

Commercial Club took action and gave a

considerable aid to the Manufacturing Co. in

the purchase of the site of its present fine

factory. A large conventionally arranged brick

plant was constructed just west of the Seal

Company’s factory. The company was

squared away for business in dead earnest

under Mr. Johnson’s direction.

With an ideal place in which to make pis-

ton rings, with an excellent equipment of new

machinery for their manufacture, with key

men who had a large experience in the mak-

ing of that product elsewhere, whom Mr.

Johnson had brought into his organization,

the Manufacturing Co. was able to make a

new line of rings that could not be excelled.

Special machines were devised for them and

made in the Seal Company’s shop. These cut

costs and improved the product.

The next thing was to get a large volume of

business – which means do a good job of

advertising in a manner that helps the dealers

as well as the factory; also, to build up a selling

organization of real go-getters. Aben Johnson

has the qualities such a job of business getting

requires. He secured a trained specialist to aid

in creating an efficient shop organization. He

built up a strong, efficient selling organization,

trained to secure new jobbers for the

Manufacturing Co., and at the same time put

on campaigns to aid the jobbers in selling the

rings to their trade. More than that, he employed

specialists to train the jobbers’ salesman in

selling piston rings, explaining how to win and

keep the friendship of the garage men in the

territory where the jobber operated.

The excellent product and the well-trained

selling organization could not do all that

needed to be done in one year, but the trade

grew through the years of severe depression.

However, the cost of selling prevented, for a

considerable time, making a profit until a

sufficient volume of trade could be acquired.

The tide of good fortune turned strongly

toward the Manufacturing Co. in 1937. The

volume increased largely in 1938 when nice

profits were earned; but in 1939 and in 1940,

the results were most gratifying, and the

Hastings Manufacturing Co. became the

leader in the piston ring field, and prospects

look fine for further progress in 1941.

Among those gathered into the company’s

organization by Mr. Johnson was Harold

Phillips. He had had fine training and had

specialized for a considerable time on gaso-

line engines and their problems, especially

how to keep the cylinders in condition for

economical production of power by using the

proper kind of piston rings. He believed the

leakage of oil could and would be largely

prevented if a steel piston ring became a part

of the set of rings used in each cylinder of the

engine that powered the automobile. He

devised such a ring and assigned the patent to

the Manufacturing Co.

The new steel-vent ring was thoroughly

tested in 1938 and proved that it would large-

ly prevent the leakage of oil from the cylin-

ders. Being harder than the cast iron rings, it

would not wear down and let the oil pass by

it. A set of rings containing a Hastings steel-

vent ring will last longer and do a good job of

saving money for the car owner. This was

thoroughly demonstrated before the

Manufacturing Co. came onto the market in

January 1939 with its new steel-vent ring.

That new ring gave Aben Johnson the oppor-

tunity to exercise his business-getting facul-

ties to the limit. The Saturday Evening Post,

The Country Gentleman, the automobile

trade papers were all used by him as advertis-

ing mediums. He also produced attractive

placards and posters and wrote personal let-

ters not only to jobbers but to garage owners.

This campaign doubled the company’s busi-

ness in 1939 and increased it again, but not so

largely, in 1940, and is giving the company a

splendid start in 1941.

The new business gained by the

Manufacturing Co. required a lot of real cash.

Hundreds more jobbing accounts had to be

carried on the company’s books, which

necessitated the largely increased investment

in these accounts as well as in stock and

materials on hand. More rings had to be made

and kept on hand. Fortunately, Mr. Johnson

didn’t have to worry about financing the

growth of the Manufacturing Co.’s business.

The large resources of the Seal Company

were used to make the expansion and were of

the greatest assistance to the Manufacturing

Co. in taking care of this rapid growth of its

business. The Seal Company’s mechanical as

well as financial resources were valuable

helps while the Manufacturing Co. was build-

ing up its business. These enabled the compa-

ny to expand far more rapidly than would

otherwise have been possible.

No one realized better than Mr. Johnson

that these favorable conditions made an

exceptional opportunity to build quickly the

volume of the Manufacturing Co.’s business.

He set about it in dead earnest. He is a tireless

worker and gave long hours each day to the

development of the business and dreamed of

it at night. He had this exceptional chance to

build up the volume quickly and rose to it. He

had splendid cooperation from his factory

and selling organization. He and his associ-

ates can take a just pride in the success

attained. Now the company is in such a

strong position in the trade and has such large

resources, it can easily meet all requirements

for carrying on its business. It is working

steadily toward a position of complete inde-

pendence, because of its large and well-de-

veloped volume of business.

The Manufacturing Co. in the two years of

1938 and 1939, by its persistent and progres-

sive campaign for new business, was able to

secure a large volume and attain a lead in the

piston ring field which ordinarily would take

many years. That phenomenal growth is a

tribute to the ability of Mr. Johnson as a busi-

ness-getter, backed as he was by the large

resources of the Seal Company which were

available to aid him in carrying out his plans

for the development of the business of the

company under his leadership.

In 1939, the Manufacturing Co. was able, at

the end of that year, to not only repay the Seal

Company for all the credit it had extended, but

also to make it possible for the Manufacturing

Co. to pay a liberal price to any of its stock-

holders who wished to cash in on their invest-

ment in the company stock. All who did so

realized a good profit on the stock they sold.

The company was glad to buy this stock at the

very fair price it offered because members of

its own organization were desirous of owning

stock in the company. It was worthwhile that

these men in the organization should have that

opportunity, for they will naturally feel a

greater interest in the company’s business if

they own some of its capital stock.

So, the people of Hastings who are interested

have had the opportunity to watch this compa-

ny grow from a very small and unpromising

beginning into a large and important industry,

employing at the present time 320 in the facto-

ry, 96 in the office and 78 salesmen in the field,

a total of 494. Its annual payroll is over

$800,000 and its business last year exceeded $

million. The people of Hastings congratulate

the company on what it has attained, and hope

that the best is yet to be. These good wishes are

not only for the management, but for the entire

organization and for the company itself.

[Note: As part of this series, Cook also

featured Hastings Table Company and the

Royal Coach Company, both of which were

republished in the Banner shortly after the

building that housed the successive industries

was destroyed by fire in October 2020.]

CHASING THE EVIDENCE

OF A REMARKABLE MAN

Emil Tyden made a mark in this world at

the turn of the 20th Century, but it was the

imprint of a selfless man whose incredible

talents and care for his fellow man

Should be admired by every succeeding

generation.” The book, Tyden: An

Ordinary Man Who Made Others

Extraordinary, was published by Fred

Jacobs and J-Ad Graphics and is the

most extensive biography to date of

a man who arrived from Sweden at

the age of 17 and whose inventive

brilliance began with contributions

to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893

and ended just before his death in

1951 with the invention of the dry

sprinkler fire suppression system

manufactured by The Viking

Corporation.

In between, Tyden offered world-changing developments to the booming automotive

industry in Detroit, to America’s military efforts in World War I, and to the transportation

industry where the invention for which he became best known, the box car seal,

established Hastings as a manufacturing capital. Over 4 million of Tyden’s boxcar seals

were manufactured from his plant in Hastings. “It’s a compelling read,” states author

Doug VanderLaan, “and one I feel fortunate to be part of in its telling.

An Ordinary Man Who Made Others Extraordinary...

Available in Hastings for $24.99 at

• Al Fresco


• The General Store


• Printing Plus


• J-Ad Graphics office
  at 1351 N. M-43 Highway, just north of the Hastings city limits.

ON SALE NOW!ON SALE NOW!

It’s all in the name

Dear Dr. Universe:

How did you get your name?

Byron, 13, Pennsylvania

Dear Byron,

It turns out a lot of kids around the world

have been wondering about the answer to

this very question; after all, you don’t hear

the name “Dr. Universe” every day.

Believe it or not, I wasn’t entirely sure

about the origin of my name. But my

friends at the Washington State University

Libraries had the answer in their historical

archives. Yes, the local library is a great

place to visit when you have a big question.

As I read through the archives, I learned

that I wouldn’t have my name if it weren’t

for two people who worked at the univer-

sity.

One of these people was Tim Steury, who

at the time was writer and editor of WSU’s

research magazine, “Universe.” The other

person was Bob Smith who served as dean

of the WSU Graduate School.

While most people call me Dr. Universe,

my first name is Wendy, and my middle

name is Sue. With the last name Universe,

that makes my initials W.S.U. You couldn’t

ask for a better set of initials, really.

You know, our names are an important

part of our identity. Identity means the qual-

ities, beliefs, personality and expressions

that make up a person or a group of people.

Maybe you even have a nickname that’s

part of your identity. Sometimes my friends

call me Dr. U for short.

While I was thinking about your ques-

tion, it also reminded me how scientists

often name things, too. For instance, when

they discover a new planet, species or ele-

ment – or come up with a new theory – they

have to think of something to call it.

In biology, one of the terms for the sys-

tem of names we use to describe some-

thing is called nomenclature. “Nomen” in

Latin means “name.” The binominal, or

two-term, naming system is what biolo-

gists around the world use to describe dif-

ferent animals, insects, bacteria and other

living things.

The naming system requires both a spe-

cies name and the genus name. For exam-

ple, if you have a pet cat; it is a feline, and

its Latin name would be Felis catus. Some

animals have a species name and genus that

are the same. For instance, Pica pica is the

magpie, a kind of bird. Mola mola is the

ocean sunfish. Bison bison is, well, a bison.

There’s even a name for these types of

names: tautonyms.

You are a Homo sapiens, or human.

Individual humans have a variety of differ-

ent names. They come in all kinds of differ-

ent languages. All right, here’s a question

for you: How did you get your name?

Perhaps you can do an investigation of your

own. Ask your family about the origin of

your first and last name. Find out if it comes

with an interesting story, holds a special

meaning, was passed down from someone

else or maybe even has a connection to the

past.

Ask your family and friends about the

stories behind their names, too. When you

ask a good question, you never know what

you might discover.

Dr. Universe

Do you have a question? Ask Dr.

Universe. Send an email to Washington

State University’s resident scientist and

writer at [email protected] or visit her

website, askdruniverse.com.

This image from a circa 1940 “Hastings Arrow” newsletter features the “official fam-

ily” – (clockwise from top, center) Emil Tyden, Richard A. Groos, Harold Phillips, Cliff

Dolan and Aben Johnson.

“A set of rings containing a Hastings steel-vent ring will last longer and do a good
job of saving money for the car owner,” Marshall Cook wrote for the March 13, 1941,
Banner. “This was thoroughly demonstrated before the Manufacturing Co. came onto
the market in January 1939 with its new steel-vent ring.”