Doehler Die Castings site (Toledo, Ohio)

USA / Ohio / Toledo / Toledo, Ohio / Smead Avenue, 1945
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In 1905, after several years of experimentation, Herman Doehler invented one of the first working die cast machines for metal (now on display at the Smithsonian Institue) and started a whole new industry. By 1908 he had established Doehler Die Casting and set up manufacturing in Brooklyn N.Y. Seeking opportunities in the growing automotive parts market, Doehler came to Toledo in 1914 and occupied space in the Factories Building.

A short time later in 1918 Doehler completed construction of a new factory with three buildings in the 1900 block of Smead Avenue. By 1930 Doehler was a major producer of die cast parts for the automobile industry and in 1933 relocated the company headquarters from New York to Toledo. After purchasing Grand Rapids, Michigan, based Jarvis Body in 1946 the company became known as Doehler-Jarvis.

In 1949 a second plant was constructed on North Detroit Avenue and employment rose to 2,500. Following an 80,000 sq. ft. expansion of the Detroit Avenue plant and an expansion of the Smead Avenue Technical Center in 1988 the company was acquired by LaSalle Capital Group, which closed the Smead Avenue plant (No. 1) in 1991. The Detroit Avenue plant (No. 2) was closed in 1998. After years of neglect and several revitalization proposals, the Smead Avenue buildings were torn down in the late 2000s.
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Coordinates:   41°39'29"N   83°34'50"W

Comments

  • Outstanding achievement 1942-1944
This article was last modified 15 years ago