Steel Resolve: A Story of Endurance - Softcover

Hugh W. Williams II

9780982058909: Steel Resolve: A Story of Endurance

Softcover

ISBN 10: 098205890X ISBN 13: 9780982058909

Publisher: Drake-Williams Steel Publishing, 2008

Like the meandering Missouri River nearby, the riveting history of Drake-Williams Steel flows through 125 years of the American industrial revolution mostly under the direction of one family with three sets of brothers. The venerable Hugh Williams joined a fledgling boiler company in 1897 about the time of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition. His sons Arthur and Walter operated the company through the Great Depression in an era of dragline buckets, boilers, and tanks. The company had built the largest and tallest smokestack and was proud of it. Arthur s sons Hugh (the author of this book) and Mike grew the company into the era of structural steel fabrication through boom-and-bust times in the construction industry. Today the company continues to expand under the able leadership of Hugh s sons David and John as Drake-Williams Steel supplies structural steel to help fuel Omaha s and the Midwest s upward growth and quite literally provides the framework for many of the area s most prominent buildings. This is not the story of buildings and structures, but of the strength and fortitude of strong men (and a few women) in a business that celebrates its 125th anniversary and has no intention of slowing down.

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About the Author:

Hugh Williams was born in Omaha in 1931, where he has lived all his life. He is the son of Arthur W. and Janet (Willmarth) Williams. He has one older sister, Janet Fletcher of Orlando, Florida; and, of course, younger brother, Michael C. Williams, also of Omaha. He is a graduate of Central High School, attended the University of Nebraska, and is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He married Mary Jean Neely of Lincoln in 1953, and the couple has two sons, David W. and John A. After two years service in the military, he was employed continuously at Drake-Williams Steel from 1956 until his retirement in 1992. He was president of the company from October 1965 until retirement in January 1992. Hugh and his brother, Mike, who served as vice president over that same period, began a process of modernization and expansion in 1965 that continues even to the present day. Landlocked at 23rd and Hickory streets, they first succeeded in acquiring several acres of ground to the west of the original plant, which gave them room to expand. Shops and an office building were constructed, but the growing business needed more room. An answer to this was the acquisition of part of the Omsteel facility, at 48th and Leavenworth. This was abandoned, however, several years later, when the Union Pacific Railroad ceased service along the belt-line route at that location. Hugh and Mike became the second set of brothers to be in charge of the company, the first being their father, Arthur, and his brother, Walter. Now, the third set of brothers, David and John, manage affairs. In fact, Hugh and Mike remain envious of the spectacular growth and development of Drake-Williams under Dave and John! However, Hugh demands credit for the negotiation and purchase of the new plant at 11th and Seward streets in 1992. This is the plant belonging to Gate City Steel Co. for many years. Operations there under Hugh s two sons have been hugely successful.

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