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 In early 1912 a group of industrialists from St. Paul, Minnesota, relocated their conveyor manufacturing business to Ellwood City – presumably to be closer to the seamless tube products they utilized. The Mathews Gravity Carrier Co., which became a leading manufacturer of steel conveyor belt systems, set up shop on Factory Avenue with general manager Frank E. Moore in charge of operations. Moore purchased the firm in 1920 and greatly expanded the company, which was renamed as Mathews Conveyor in March 1924. At its peak Mathews employed as many as 400 people at its Ellwood City plant. Mathews was merged with a Wisconsin firm in late 1964 to become the Mathews Conveyor Division of Rex Chainbelt (later Rexnord). Mathews Conveyor was reorganized as the Material Handling Division of Rexnord in January 1973. Operations were steadily phased out (and relocated) and the plant was closed in late January 1976. (c1942) Full Size |
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 (c1937) Full Size |
 (c1937) Full Size |
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 A late-1950’s catalog from the Mathews Conveyer Company. |  A list of the locations of the company. (c1958) |
 An example of a live roller conveyer. (1958) |
 Mathews could manufacture a conveyer system for any need. (1958) |  (1958) |
 Mathews Conveyers system inside the Molson Beer plant in Montreal, Canada. Molson’s was founded by John Molson in 1786 and today is the oldest brewery still in operation in North America. (1958) |  (1958) |
 A drawing of wheel conveyers. (1956) Full Size |
 A cut-away drawing of a common conveyer belt manufactured by Mathews Conveyer. (1956) Full Size |
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 A spring mounted roller conveyer in action. (1956) |  A spiral chute. (1956) |
 Mathews Conveyer machines were in operation at many of the most successful companies in the country, including this Coca-Cola bottling plant. (1956) Full Size |
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 Mathews Conveyer machinery in a plant producing White Rose Motor Oil, which I believe was owned by Ashland Petroleum beginning in 1950. (1956) Full Size |
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 The Mathews Conveyor plant at San Carlos CA. (c1956) |
 Looking north on 10th Street at the old Mathews Conveyer plant on Factory Avenue, now occupied by the Adams Manufacturing Corporation – a maker of various plastic/resin products. (Apr 2010) |
Comments
Kevin J. Monahan #
I was employed by Mathews Conveyor Co. West Coast at San Carlos, CA and later transfered to the new plant at Chico, CA. I was inside sales, order service dept supervisor, estimator and later a field sales engineer. I had many happy moments at Mathews and gained an experience which served me well for the remaining years as a material handling professional.
John Murphy #
I’ve had the privilege work with several groups of people throughout the years with the plants that were located in Chico, CA, Elwood City, PA, and Port Hope, CAN. My employement started in 1976 and working with Rexnord/Mathews Conveyor has allowed me to gain great experience. I have held several positions during this period and I am still with the company that owns the original trade name Mathews Conveyor.
Martin Clark #
I am the archivist for Intelligrated and have Mathews documentation dating back to the founding in 1905, including sales literature from 1917 and photos of the first Toronto manufacturing facility that pre-dates 1920.
Mathews was sold to FKI and eventually was part of the sale to Intelligrated.
Any Mathews related articles would be welcome additions to our company archives.
Thanks
Martin Clark (314) 409 6760
martin.clark@intelligrated.com
Raymond Winfield #
Do you have any data on my Father.
Herbert S Winfield
I can check my files.
James Heumann #
Our father, Chapin Heumann, enjoyed a productive 40 years working for Mathews and RexNord in the Ellwood City, Pittsburg, and Des Planes Illinois offices beginning as a draftsman and progressing to a sales engineer position. He often shared stories of beginning as a draftsman in the Ellwood City plant (where I and two of my brothers were born) and commented on Mr. Moore’s rigorous work effort.
One story he shared from his early years with the company (late 1940s) involved working in the drafting room with some 40 other engineers and draftsman sharing a single telephone. The standing joke at that time was that when someone’s wife would call on the line one of the co-workers would invitably shout out “pick up a loaf of bread on the way home.
I have fond memories of visiting Ellwood City as a boy and thank you for sharing this history on your website.
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