Chief Manufacturing, Inc.

In 1946, the world was a drastically changing place. Americans were celebrating victory and an end to World War II, the baby boomers were being born, and peaches were boxed in wood crates. With a $600 bank loan in hand, Bill and Evelyn Rudder, founded Woodbury Box Company with the goal of supplying all the peach farmers in the area with wooden peach crates.
During the 1950’s the market for wooden fruit boxes would be replaced by corrugated boxes and Mr. Rudder was soon challenged with a company redefinition. Surrounded by textile mills in the area, he found a new line of work by manufacturing rollers and beams for textile machinery. By the early 1960’s, technology had increased the life of rollers and beams to the point they were no longer profitable. Once again, Mr. Rudder was faced with redefining the company. At this point in time a noteworthy change was made at Woodbury Box Company. Steel replaced wood as the raw good of choice. The first mass produced metal item man... [Details]