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E.C. Hilliard Corporation (1903-2006)
E.C. Hilliard Co. was founded in 1903 by Edward Charles Hilliard, and was in the plumbing and heating business. Over the years, the heating business turned from radiators and piping to forced hot air heating. This took the company into the sheet metal and ductwork business.
During World War II, with the U.S. government directing manufacturing companies into strategic wartime production, E.C. Hilliard Co. was introduced to manufacturing textile machinery parts for the Saco Lowell Co. in Maine. After the war, the company stayed with manufacturing machinery parts for diverse industries in Massachusetts. Charles E. Hilliard, son of the founder had now taken the reins of the company.
In the 1960s, the electronics industry began to grow around the Route 128 area and Hilliard participated by becoming a precision sheet metal manufacturer. The company merged with a precision machine shop doing milling and turning work. The new company was called Ron-Arc Hilliard. This alliance only lasted a few years and in 1962, the company was incorporated as E.C. Hilliard Corporation.
That same year, the Massachusetts Turnpike Extension east from Weston to Boston took by eminent domain the company's premises at Elmwood Street in Newton Corner, where the Gateway Center Sheraton Tara currently stands on air rights over the highway. Mr. Hilliard purchased land from a greenhouse/farm in West Newton near the site of the old Newton coal yard. An 18,000 square foot building was built to house the company's sheet metal and machine shop operations. New press brakes, shears, punch presses, mills and lathes were purchased at that time.
In 1967, the company fell on hard times as the region was hit by a recession that slowed both the electronic and textile machinery industries at the same time. The company was doing a volume of $125,000 and losing $50,000 from 1967-1971. Management and production staff were reduced and Mr. Hilliard, then 70 years old, looked to sell the business. He contracted Michael Cantor, a small business broker he knew through the Rotary Club.
Mike Cantor had been in his family's metal fabricating business, the Van Noorden Company, had grown it by acquisition, and in 1968 sold the company while his son Bill was still in college. Bill Cantor graduated Depauw University in Indiana in 1971 and began work as a manufacturer's representative for metal construction products. Bill brought construction requirements for custom fabrications to E.C. Hilliard Corp.
After potential buyers for E.C. Hilliard Corp. nearly consummated the deal, but then got cold feet and backed off at the last minute, Mr. Hilliard asked Mike Cantor, "why doesn't Bill buy the business?". Mike answered, "Ask him!"
Bill's first response was "This is crazy! I'm only 21 years old, with a wife and no income and I'm supposed to buy a failing business?" Mike Cantor advised Bill that the company had good basic value, good equipment and represented a fair risk with turnaround capabilities. Mike told Bill, "If you want to buy a business at age 21 and it fails, then everyone will say you were just a kid when you failed. You go off and get a job. But if you wait until you're 42 with business experience and your business fails, then everyone will say you were a bad businessman and you'll have a tough time starting over".
In January 1972, with Charlie Hilliard providing the financing, Bill Cantor bought the business. At that time, there were five remaining long-term employees. The terms of the sale included an agreement to keep on the remaining employees to whom Charlie Hilliard was so loyal and to retain the company name of E.C. Hilliard, founded by his father.
Bill Cantor began by bringing in construction fabrication of stair treads and risers. This work was not the precision work these elderly craftsmen were accustomed to and the tonnage involved quickly tired them out. However, it did produce quick cash flow to keep the company afloat while Bill looked for new customers in the electronics field.
By the end of 1972, the sales volume had doubled to $250,000 and the company had turned a small profit. Each of the succeeding three years saw a doubling of sales volume and increasing profitability. Bill Cantor's philosophy was to grow the business by acquisition and to stay diversified so as not to again be hit by a recession affecting the company's two primary market sectors.
In 1972, the company acquired Star Steel Company's division that manufactured prefabricated, knocked down, extruded aluminum door frames for the then flourishing federally funded, low cost housing construction field. This added sales of approximately $75,000. In 1973, the Van Noorden Company division was started to re-enter the jail cell manufacturing business using the name of the former family business that was now defunct.
In 1974, the company acquired Medford Metal Fabricators of Woburn, a manufacturer of larger and heavier plate fabrications. This added sales of approximately $275,000. In 1977, the Allcraft Corporation was acquired. Allcraft manufactured stainless steel water heaters, exhaust systems, and fuel and water tanks for boats. This acquisition added sales of approximately $125,000.
In 1992, E.C. Hilliard sales reached $4 million and achieved its largest order to date, $1.3 million for SS doors and light fixtures on the new Boston 3rd Harbor Tunnel.
The following year, the company hired additional sales personnel to develop the architectural sales market, bought pipe-bending equipment and began being a factor in the ornamental stainless steel railing market. The company also acquired Helio Precision in Bedford, a manufacturer of military parts and precision metal fabrication. This acquisition added precision military parts sales of approximately $300,000, along with precision metal fabrication sales of $1.5 million. Also included in the sale was a lease on a 30,000 square foot building at Hanscom Field.
In 1996, the company purchased a 50,000 square foot facility at
10 Liberty Way in Franklin, MA and moved both the Newton and Bedford operations under one roof. The new facility, a former lighting fixture manufacturing plant, with its high bay ceilings, craneways and multiple loading docks, enabled larger fabrications, lowered the cost of handling, and has provided additional vertical storage space for customer JIT and ship-to-stock programs.
Over the years vast improvements in efficiency and communications have also been realized with a substantial investment in CAD equipment and personnel. In 1993, there was one CAD engineer. By 1996, there were five and in 1997 seven engineers, increasingly doing design/build and assembly projects.
In 1997, a unique opportunity came along to purchase Alden Metal Products of Brockton, MA, along with their new Vipros turret punch press with load/unload cell, other equipment, 12 skilled employees including one sales and two engineering staff, all customer lists and engineering work in progress. Of three interested bidders, ECH was selected due to our prior experience in acquisitions, the ability to do the deal quickly, no financing contingency, and because Hilliard had space to quickly relocate the company.
In 1999, the company moved to JIT manufacturing in an effort to reduce inventory and to respond to customer delivery demands for smaller quantities in short lead times. The company installed the largest CO2 laser with automatic load/unload in New England. At the same time a "nesting" software program was installed which significantly reduced labor, set-up, tooling and scrap costs and has increased productivity.
The company has continued to stay diversified and currently sells to the following markets: electronic, computer, telecommunications, military, aerospace, pharmaceutical, bottling and packaging, chemical process, pollution control, transportation, material handling, detention equipment, marine and architectural.
In 2000, the company received its first workforce training grant in the amount of $31,000 to provide training in basic shop and advanced math, measurement instrumentation, and English as a second language.
In 2002, the company embarked on an aggressive program to install new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software, which totally integrates estimating, purchasing, engineering, manufacturing, inventory and accounting. In the same year E.C. Hilliard also achieved certification as an ISO 9000:2001 registered manufacturer. The company has also received addtional workforce training grants to continue to keep our employees up to date with the latest skills.
In 2003 two new divisions were created. Van Noorden Gate Systems which manufactures high security and architectural gates of wrought iron, wrought bronze, mahogany, teak and rustic woods and also includes the complete hydraulic operating systems. Notable projects include the security crash gates at the White House, the US Capitol, golf resorts, gated communities, and mansions of the rich and famous.
Van Noorden Historical Restoration was also founded in 2003 and specializes in restoration of historical wrought iron gates and fences and has included landmark projects including the Vanderbilt mansion known as The Breakers in Newport RI, Columbia University and Princeton University
Hilliard Precision Products (2006 - present)
In 2006, E.C. Hilliard was purchased by Sanweld Industries of Worcester, MA and renamed Hilliard Precision Products, LLC. Founded in 1999, Sanweld Industries specializes in acquiring and managing companies that provide their customers with exceptional products at competitive prices. The following companies are divisions of Sanweld Industries:
Site Screener
Manufacturer of soil screeners
Torwel Industries
Manufacturer of sand & salt spreaders
Ward Weller
Manufacturer of aluminum & steel bridge railing
In addition to E.C. Hilliard, Sanweld acquired the rights to Van Noorden Company, Van Noorden Gate Systems, and Allcraft Marine Water Heaters; and has folded them in to Hilliard Precision Products, LLC.
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