Draft:Niagara Machine & Tool Works

In 1879 the Niagara Stamping & Tool Co., also known as the Niagara Stamping & Tool Works, were established by Adam Heinz, Michael J. Stark and George J. Munschauer. Heinz and Munschauer were already partners in a manufacturing firm that made ice boxes and bird cages among their products. In their early days, the Niagara Stamping & Tool Co. made tools and machinery for cans and canning, plus they did stamping and punching for other manufacturers. By 1884 the company had 60 employees, and was increasingly specializing in sheet metal machinery. Stark left the business in 1888, and the local soap-making business of Lautz Brothers—Munschauer's wife, Margaret, was a member of the Lautz family—became a partner. The business continued to thrive and by 1889 they had nearly 150 employees. In 1890, George Munschauer died unexpectedly. We do not know how the ownership changed at that time. In about 1897 the name changed to Niagara Machine & Tool Co., and by 1900 the name Niagara Machine & Tool Works was being used. By 1909 George A. Lautz was president, Adam E. Heinz was vice president, and George R. Munschauer was secretary and treasurer.