In 1922 Harry Bundy founded the Bundy Corporation in Detroit & his 1st contract was to supply tubing for Ford's Model T automobile. Poor health forced Harry to step aside & Wendell Anderson took control in 1929. That's also the year the Bundy Corporation became Bundy Tubing.
After World War 2, our local economy was on the decline. The mines were shutting down & women were forced to seek employment in garment factories. In 1949, Bundy Tubing announced it was going to locate a plant in Hometown. It promised to hire around 700 employees, but peak employment only hit only 450. Bundy Tubing later expanded the Hometown plant in 1956.
One problem with Bundy Tubing: it was very vulnerable to economic downturns. My dad worked at Bundy. His badge# was 364 & he was often on layoff. Thankfully, my mom was working at Atlas Powder at Reynolds in South Tamaqua. How many other can relate to this situation?
Stagflation & the energy crunch in the late 1970s took its toll on Bundy Tubing & the Hometown plant closed in 1980. 8 years later Bundy Tubing was acquired by the IT Group for $146.5 million. Silberline bought the Hometown Bundy plant in 1981 & the site now serves as the company's world headquarters.
The picture of the Bundy plant below was taken in 1958. Any Bundy old timers remember the Bundy Tuba newspaper seen below? I sure remember those annual Bundy company picnics during August at Dorney Park. How about you?
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