Edward G. Budd MFG. co.
In this episode, I explore the remains of the Budd Company, found in 1912 by Edward G. Budd, whose fame comes from his development of the first all-steel automobile bodies in 1913 and the companies invention of the Shotwell technique for joining stainless steel without damaging its anti-corrosion properties in the 1930s.
By 1915, Budd employed over 600 and relocated the factory to its current location on West Hunting Park Ave boosting production from 100 to 500 car bodies per day. The company expanded into the manufacture of all-steel wire-spoked wheels in 1916. By the late 1920s, Budd employed over 10,000 who manned hundreds of presses, producing bodies for Citrone, Morris Motors, Rolls Royce, and Liberty Motor Car.
In the early 1930s, Budd perfected the Shotwell Electric Process, which enabled stainless steel plates to be welded. The development led to the production of streamlined railcars and aircraft.
In 1930, the company made its first foray into the aviation industry by signing contracts to manufacture aircraft wheels and stainless steel wing ribs. Enea Bossi joined the company as the head of stainless steel research to supervise the design and construction of a four-seat biplane amphibian aircraft, the Budd BB-1 Pioneer. It was the first built with a stainless steel structure. This was the first aircraft for the Budd Company and made its first flight in 1931.
The company expanded into the railcar industry building the Pioneer Zephyr for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad in 1934, followed by passenger cars for Amtrak and transit agencies including Chicago Transit Authority, Philadelphia Transportation Company, and the New York Board of Transportation.
As rail service began to decline in the 1950s the company began to recover the railcar business in the 1960s when it was awarded contracts for high-speed metro-liner cars. Budd entered the subway commuter market in 1963 when it won the contract for 600 stainless steel subway cars. After issues with faulty components, Budd considered selling the railcar division in 1970, however, instead, they restructured in 1974.
The heyday of the U.S. auto industry was coming to an end and for the Budd Company as well. Foreign car imports began to take a serious toll on domestic car manufacturing. The 1980s marked a turning point for American carmakers, whose foreign competition was once limited to Volkswagen Beetles. U.S. companies now faced an array of cheap and affordable Japanese imports that were taking serious bites out of their profits. It was not long until Budd began losing business and losing money. Downsizing was their only option. Budd’s large stamping plant in Gary Indiana was closed, and various other divisions were sold off.
Budd’s Nicetown plant remained in use until 2002 when the automobile component stamping operations were transferred to Detroit. Many years have passed since the last press fell and the light went out for good. Plans for the Budd Commerce Center were born. The project of office and industrial space had the potential to create more than 1,000 jobs, but this ambitious plan never came to fruition. The phoenix building erected in 1988 was sold and is now used for document storage. A restaurant depot now sits on a parcel of land once owned by Budd. The Salvation Army now has a facility on the site that once was a materials storage yard. And most interesting Temple University purchased all of the property east of Hunting Park Avenue, moving into the K building that was built in 1922 and to this day still reads “Edward G Budd Manufacturing Company '' at the entryway to the building. Currently, it is the Temple Administrative Services Building. The sky bridge that connected the east and west sides of Hunting Park Avenue still connects the Temple property to the remainder of the Budd plant. Until next time explorers, stay safe.
