The Daily Times from Salisbury, Maryland • 35

PAGE IS THE SALISBURY TDIES, SALISBURY, SID, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 28, 1953 Blacksmith Founded, Briddell Company Business Started With $1.50 Repair Job A $1.50 repair job on a pair of and to the farm blacksmith shop his blacksmithing and tool mending business on the first floor and a paint shop on the second floor. It wasn't long, however, before the young blacksmith outgrew bis new quarters, and he planned a sco to the more convenient location of the town of Marion, about six miles from Crisfield. By that time his interest was more in manufacture than in the many repair jobs that fell to the country blacksmith and his new came farmers to nave machines mended, horses shod, tire put on farm wagons and tools built and repaired. His business outgrew his shop and lumber was cut on his father's farm to provide for expansion. The new shop was 20 by 40 feet with oyster tongs by a 13 year old boy in his father's farm shop was the foundation of the Charles D.

Briddell Company. The youngster was Charles D. Briddell. who liked black-mithing better than farming. In few years his reputation grew new building.

At this time he decided to move from his father's farm in Marum quarters in Marion were large enough for him to expand the growing business of making earts and buggies. Business boomed In Marion and i if-" a force of workmen was needed to meet the demand for the Brid 2 'ZZ I CONGRATULATIONS x. dell vehicles. A sales agent was retained for the Eastern Shore of Virginia. In 1906, with the Marion plant just open and orders rolling in, young Charles Briddell saw a bright future for his business.

PRESIDENT. Charles D. Briddell succeeded his father as president of the company and, an engineer, is still director of He had married, a year earlier. HEADS SALES. Thomas H.

Briddell, vice president in charge of sales, has the nation as his territory, maintaining contact with distributors and dealers in Cfvel Hall cutlery. The firm has ore than 50 salesmen operating 9 les taking as his bride Miss Grace Maddox of Marumsco, whom he had met at an ice skating party on her aunt's farm. One of them, Ernest A. Ford, had been with Mr. Briddell even since 5K offices.

He expects a 20 per Then disaster struck wi e. increase in sales this year. Last Through misuse of funds by the Virginia agency, it failed, leaving SHI year sales amounted to $6,500,000 (retail value). the manufacturer to take respon sibility for several thousands of Chas. D.

Briddell Inc. the Marion days, and by this time A. Reese Betts had joined the factory staff. In Crisfield the firm engaged in the production of oyster and clam tongs and knives, crab picking knives, bows for crab nets, tongs for handling live hard crabs, and still engaged in the blacksmith up was tne main nusmess at uria- dollars in obligations, and work dell's. The plant was modernized.

ing capital was hard to find. Then a new blacksmith shop was built. the new Marion plant burned to the ground, and there was little in electric motors were installed, ice We Hope Each Succeeding MILESTONE Will Be Marked With The Success You Are Now Celebrating picks became a major portic i of surance on the building and its the business with the Coca Cola contents. company buying several As production expanded the Brid Mr. Briddell always credited his dell line of seafood tools spread wife with the support and encour beyond the Crisfield market and the manufacturer turned sales agement that enabled him to start over again.

She was his partner, and has remained active in the man. As markets were developed along the Atlantic seaboard the affairs of the company. The second start in business company found itself operating was made at the site of the first. back at the Briddell farm. There seasonable business.

At times only a skeleton force was needed at the plant, and at others a full force was needed to fill orders for the was caution in this second start for he was determined to avoid of them in one year and stri-butors in every section of the roun-try handling the Briddell products. Even more important was another form of growing up. Evelyn had finished college and, after working in the purchasing department of a Baltimore store, was back home as her father's secretary. Charles, Jr. was learning riant operations, working at an anvil' or at forge.

Tom tried the shop but showed a greater inclina ion for sales and merchandising. So, to prepare themselves for the part they would plan in the firm's development Charles studied mechanical engineering at the Uni seafood season. misfortune again. For six years he A. Wellington Tawes, then owner stayed in the farm shop, and he On The Opening i 0f Their New 0m in Crisfield, Md.

MM fell rffll INSURANCE BONDS I 1 105 Calvert St. Salisbury, Md. of the local ice plant, and who is began to forge an oyster knife that the Crisfield seafood industry now a Briddell director and presi clamored for. And watermen liked dent of the Bank of Crisfield, sug gested that the firm make ice his oyster tongs and other tools tongs during its slack season. Mr.

The farm shop was unsatisfac Briddell designed a set of ice tongs tory, again, for a manufacturing and tried them out in the ice plant. operation. Roads were almost im They met every test and were add passable in winter. Bringing in ed to the manufacturing line. raw materials and delivering the versity of Maryland while Tom's courses were in business administration, finance and sales.

There were three younger chil finished product were expensive. They became a best seller but FrfAGUIRE nCLEMlOIl, INC. Abrasives Cutting Tools Baltimore 18, Maryland He decided that a new shop the ice Industry wanted other tools from the same manufacturer. Soon ice hatchets, ice axes, and other dren, Willis, still in high school should be located at his principal market, Crisfield. So, in 1914 came the second move ice handling tools were manufac but breaking in at the plant.

He was born in 1919. Ruth Grace was born in 1921 and Mary Phylli? in 1925. tured and distributed through sev from the farm shop. Moving was simple. The heavy stamp press and eral selling agencies.

The Briddell name also went on a new line of The success of the Ice pick line an anvil were taken to Crisfield, swinging under the high wheels of sturdy butchers cleavers and tools brought ventures into other novelty the timber cart. The few other advertising with ash trays and me at this time. tal calendars becoming popu.ar. Time for expansion had come things were brought in a farm cart. Tom was added to the board of again and, in 1925, the company directors in 1932 and became sales Also in the moving was the Brid- was incorporated with Mr.

Brid manager, Charles was just com aeu lamiiy, lor mere was now dell as president, Charles W. Ster pleting his studies in engineering. Evelyn Elizabeth, now Mrs. John Andrews, born in 1907, and Charles Evelyn had married a young ling as secretary and Mr. Tawes as treasurer.

Modern machinery was needed, further diversification born in 1912. Soon after the 5 C' 7 ffiaa Baltimore draftsman, John Andrews, who joined Briddell's and open daily 9 'till Crisfield plant was opened Thom worked his way up in the ccm-pany and was made a member of the business was sought, and expanded sales were in the offing. There were now more than 50 men in the plant, skilled in forming me Saturdays 9 'till 9 as Henry was born, in 1914. The Crisfield plant was a modest venture, located in a part of a carriage and harness making es- of the engineering staff. As Tom increased sales of id- tal Into whatever the customer tabUsbmant operated by the late wanted.

eiHalng novelties it was job to figure out lower production John W. Nock, who was Impressed The next step was the purchase by the ability and determination costs. With Increased selling came of th young manufacturer. of Beatty and Black, an old concern at Chester, Pa. Its equipment was moved to Crisfield, its line of the need for more manufacturng Six years later the line of items Perfect for giving surely to become a treasured space.

A big brick building acrtss the street from the main plant was butcher cleavers and ice tools be purchased. coming Briddell products. manufactured by the company had expanded to such a point that sew quarters had to be found. And, in 1920, a modern brick plant was holrloom! The company had reached a new In the next few years competi peak In 1938 with national dis-ri- tion in the Ice tool business became keen and the mechanical bution supported by national d- constructed near the Crisfield waterfront for the growing company. refrigerator loomed as a threat vertising.

And it was at that peak The one-man blacksmith shop had that its founder, after returning so, in 1929, the ice tool business was sold. home from a business trip, died again grown, and at that time there were about 40 employees. In the next few yeara "growing suddenly on August 21. CONGRATULATIONS AIID vaar Mo ItSS Ho Com) ftall tMk Knlvoi Aristocrat Cot. 4I BEST WISHES H.

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