Burgmaster

Last updated
Burgmaster
Company typePrivate
Industry Machine tools, industrial manufacturing
Founded1946
FoundersFred Burg, Joe Burg
ProductsTurret drilling machines, tapping machines, automated metalworking machines
Revenue$9.6 million (1965)

Burgmaster was an American machine tool manufacturer founded in 1946 by Fred Burg and his son Joe Burg. [1] [2] [3] The company produced turret drilling and tapping machines that were used in industrial manufacturing in the mid-twentieth century. Burgmaster is cited in industrial-historical and business literature as an example of postwar American machine-tool building. [4] [1] [5] [6]

Contents

History

Early years

The company was founded after World War II by Fred Burg, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia who had experience working as a lathe operator and toolmaker in industry. [2] [7] The company emerged during the period of postwar industrial expansion in the United States, when demand for manufacturing equipment increased across sectors such as the aerospace industry, automotive industry, and general manufacturing. Burgmaster specialized in machines designed for repetitive production operations, including turret drilling and tapping machines. [7]

Growth and development

In the 1950s–1960s, the company began producing automated metalworking machines, including equipment incorporating elements of numerical control. [8] [1] By 1957, such machines were being demonstrated at national industrial exhibitions. [7]

The company's economic growth in the 1950s was linked to technological developments. [8] [1] According to financial data, in 1954 the company's revenue amounted to USD 574,000, and its workforce numbered 62 employees. By the mid-1960s, staff had increased to 275 employees, and sales volume reached USD 9.6 million by 1965. [8] [3]

Acquisition by Houdaille Industries, decline, and subsequent revival

In October 1965, Burgmaster was acquired by Houdaille Industries. [9] [8] [3] After the acquisition, a new manufacturing plant was constructed. [3] [8] From the 1970s onward, the company experienced a prolonged decline.

On September 24, 1985, Houdaille announced a corporate restructuring that included the liquidation of several divisions. [8] On October 1, 1985, the closure of the Burgmaster plant in California was announced. [3] Burgmaster ceased operations in October 1985. [3] [7]

Recent years

In 2025, Burgmaster merged with the company Vulcan. [10] Following the merger, the combined company adopted the new name Mastrex. [11]

Products

Burgmaster's primary products were turret drilling and tapping machines intended for production environments. [8] These machines were used for drilling, tapping, and related operations in multi-stage manufacturing processes. [7]

Assessments

The company's rise and decline are examined in Max Holland's book When the Machine Stopped: A Cautionary Tale from Industrial America (1989). [1] He linked Burgmaster's decline to managerial decisions made by the owners after the acquisition by Houdaille Industries. In his view, the key factors were underinvestment, loss of organizational integration, relocation of production, and the sale of technological developments to competitors. At the same time, Holland noted that the company operated in an unfavorable market environment characterized by increasing foreign competition and economic downturns. [12] [3] [5]

Further reading

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Woo, Elaine (17 July 2002). "Joseph Burg, 80; Helped Found Machine-Tool Firm" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 "DON'T BLAME THE JAPANESE : The Rise of Burgmaster Corp. Was a Typically American Saga and Unfortunately, So Was Its Fall" . Los Angeles Times . 12 July 1987. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 J. Teece, David; Dosi, Giovanni; Chytry, Josef (12 March 1998). Technology, Organization, and Competitiveness: Perspectives on Industrial and Corporate Change. New York City: Oxford University Press.
  4. ↑ Automation. Cleveland: Penton Publishing Company. 1962.
  5. 1 2 Holland, Max (1989). When the Machine Stopped: A Cautionary Tale from Industrial America. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press. ISBN   978-0875842080.
  6. ↑ Holland, Max (2002). From Industry to Alchemy: Burgmaster, a Machine Tool Company. Washington, D.C.: Beard Books. ISBN   978-1587981531.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Oliver, Myrna (25 August 1995). "Fred Burg; Inventor, Tool Manufacturer". Los Angeles Times .
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 G. Blackford, Mansel (2003). A History of Small Business in America. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   978-0807854532.
  9. ↑ "Burgmaster Corporation And Houdaille Industries" . The New York Times . 5 June 1965. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Vulcan Materials Company acquired Burgmaster". S&P Capital IQ . 4 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026– via MarketScreener.
  11. ↑ "Vulcan and Burgmaster Merge to Form Mastrex, Strengthening the Future of American Manufacturing". Yahoo Finance . 6 January 2026. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  12. ↑ United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor. Subcommittee on Labor‑Management Relations (1989). Oversight Hearings on the Role of Pension Funds in Corporate Takeovers. U.S. Government Printing Office.
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