General Fibre Company
| Private Corporation | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Defunct | 1985 |
| Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri |
Key people | Frank G. Pellegrino, President |
| Products | Duck Decoys, Military Helmets, Sun Hats |
General Fibre Company was an American manufacturer of a wide variety of fiber and plastic products. The company was known for its popular Ariduk brand of duck and goose decoys.[1] During World War II, General Fibre was converted to military use in partnership with the International Hat Company. Conjointly, the companies were among the largest manufacturers and suppliers of American military pressed fiber pith helmets during World War II. After the war, the company moved into the emerging plastic injection molding industry. During the 1960s, General Fibre became a supplier to Ford Motor Company, in the manufacture of plastic interiors. The General Fibre Company closed in 1985.
History
World War II
When the United States entered World War II, Hawley Products Company and the International Hat Company were commissioned to produce tens of thousands of military sun helmets for the war effort. George Tilles Jr., the President of International Hat turned to General Fibre Company's President L.T. Apple to supply all the fiber materials for the production of International Hat's pressed fiber military helmets. Over 100,000 pressed fiber helmets were supplied to soldiers of the United States Marine Corps and Navy.[2] From World War II to the Gulf War, these pressed fiber pith helmets are noted for the historic length of their combat usage in the United States, outlasting combat usage of the M1 steel helmet by approximately ten years. The pressed fiber helmet thus has the longest duration of combat usage of any helmet in the history of the United States military.[2] The helmets were produced through the Vietnam War. However, later models of International Hat military helmets were made of plastic, after General Fibre converted to plastic injection molding.
Post-war growth
Airduk brand
General Fibre began manufacturing decoy ducks under the Airduk brand in 1946.[1] The company mass produced mallards, pin tails, blue bills, black ducks, canvas backs, oversized Mallards, and oversized black ducks. General Fibre also produced two species of Canadian goose decoys and two types of crow shooter's kits. The ducks were of fiber material with realistic glass eyes, a seamless base, and anchor hooks installed on the bottom. The fiber materials were water proof and constructed to withstand poor weather conditions. Likewise, the ducks were able to withstand being shot without sinking or leaking. In the early 1960s, the company stopped making the fiber version of all Airduk decoy models, switching to plastic.
See also
References
- 1 2 Luckey and Lewis 2003, p. 87.
- 1 2 Tulkoff 2003, p. 268.
Bibliography
- Greer, G.H. American Stonewares the Art and Craft of Utilitarian Potters, Schiffer Pub Ltd, 1981. ISBN 0916838528
- International Hat Company. International Harvest Hat Company: A Brief History, 1917-1942 25th Anniversary Edition, St. Louis: International Hat Company, 1942.
- Luckey, Carl and Lewis, Russell E. Collecting Antique Bird Decoys and Duck Calls: An Identification and Price Guide, Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 2003. ISBN 0873495462
- Schmidt, Richard John. The Divestiture Option: A Guide for Financial and Corporate Planning Executives, Greenwood Publishing Group, Jan 1, 1990. ISBN 0899303978
- Tulkoff, Alec. Grunt Gear: USMC Combat Infantry Equipment of World War II, R. James Bender Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0912138920
External links
- Automatic molding apparatus for forming pulp articles US Patent 3147180 A, September 1, 1964.