Beginnings |
| 1852 |
Oct. 6: Birthdate of George Bennett, founder of Acme Brick Company.
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| 1876 |
Bennett arrives in Texas, at Galveston, then moves to Dallas a year later
and takes a job with McCormick Reaper and Harvester Co.
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| 1884 |
Bennett quits McCormick to set out on his own,
buys three 160-acre tracts of land in the Rock
Creek area of Parker County, TX, and starts building a brick plant.
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1891-1941 |
| 1891 |
Bennett's test brick are rated "superior,"
and Bennett's plant goes into full production.
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Apr. 17: Acme Pressed Brick Company is chartered in Alton, IL.
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| 1894 |
Acme builds a new plant across the railroad tracks,
still the site of the Bennett Plant today.
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| 1901 |
First print ad, which lists buildings made of Acme Brick over the previous 10 years.
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| 1902 |
Construction begins on Acme's first big job,
the Armour and Swift meat-packing plants located at the Fort Worth Stockyards.
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| 1907 |
July 3: In Galveston on a business trip, George Bennett dies at age 54.
Ralph S. Root becomes president of Acme.
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| 1910 |
Fall: Roiled by economic depression and the aftereffects
of a 1908 strike, Acme shuts down.
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December: News of a fire in Midland, TX, prompts Acme to reopen.
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| 1911 |
Acme moves its headquarters to 824 Monroe Street in Fort Worth.
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| 1912 |
Bennett Plant is retooled for stiff-mud operation. |
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Acme acquires Denton Pressed Brick Company. |
| 1913 |
Acme moves its headquarters to the First National Bank Building at
7th and Houston streets, in Fort Worth.
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| 1914 |
While closed for renovation,
Acme's Denton Plant catches fire and burns.
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| 1916 |
Houston, San Antonio, and West Texas sales offices open. |
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George Bennett's son Walter, 29, is elected president.
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| 1918 |
Stiff-mud machinery installed at Denton.
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| 1919 |
Acme's headquarters move to the Neil P. Anderson Building,
at 7th and Taylor in Fort Worth.
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Acme sells 16 million brick from Bennett and Denton Plants.
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Walter Bennett buys a 120-acre tract for Acme in Perla, AR.
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| 1921 |
First brick are shipped from Acme's new Perla Plant.
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| 1923 |
Acme merges with Fort Smith Brick and Tile.
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| 1924 |
Acme buys American Brick and Tile, with plants in Oklahoma City and Cleveland, OK. |
| 1925 |
Acme begins construction of new brick plant in Tulsa, OK. |
| 1926 |
Acme buys the Atchinson Brick Works, which becomes Perla Plant No.
2.
|
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Strategic partnership is established with Elgin-Standard Brick Company,
lasting until 1964.
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Acme buys Arkansas Brick and Tile, adding plants in Perla,
Malvern, Pine Bluff (closed 1929) and Little Rock (closed 1930, rebuilt and reopened 1946, closed for good 1952).
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| 1927 |
Acme buys Wichita Falls (TX) Brick and Tile (closed in the depression).
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| 1928 |
Acme sells 165 million brick, setting a record that lasts nearly 20 years.
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| 1930 |
As the Great Depression hits, Acme shipments fall to 98 million brick.
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| 1932 |
Annual sales fall to 24 million brick.
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| 1934 |
Acme records its first and only annual loss.
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| 1935 |
Plants in Bridgeport and Ferris, TX,
acquired from bankrupt Bridgeport Brick, come on line.
|
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Walter R. Bennett dies; William Bryce, 74, becomes president and chairman of the board.
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| 1940 |
Annual sales total 85 million brick.
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1941-1991 |
| 1941 |
J. Ernest Fender, 58, becomes president; William Bryce continues as chairman.
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| 1943 |
German POWs work at Acme plants in Perla, Fort Smith, Bennett, Denton,
Bridgeport and Oklahoma City.
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| 1944 |
Acme buys a plant in Clinton, OK., first plant purchase in a decade (closed 1986).
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| 1945 |
Acme buys Bishop Brick Company, of Houston (closed 1958).
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Acme buys Garrison Vitrified Brick Company, in Garrison, TX.
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| 1948 |
Acme enters marketing partnership with Endicott Clay Products of Fairbury, NE.
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| 1945-1950 |
Sales triple, from $3 million to $9 million, in the postwar period.
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| 1950 |
Through lease-purchase, Acme acquires Louisiana plants in Monroe (closed 1966) and Baton Rouge (closed 1984).
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| 1952 |
Acme moves its headquarters to 2821 W 7th St. in Fort Worth--built of brick from the Denton Plant.
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| 1954 |
Acme breaks into the Kansas-Missouri market with the purchase of Buffalo Brick and Tile, in Buffalo, KS |
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Acme lease-purchases plants in Alexandria, LA, and Waskom, TX, from Tri-State Brick Company. Both close in 1962. |
| 1958 |
Acme buys plants at Kanopolis and Great Bend, KS
(Great Bend closes November 1961), from Great Bend Brick and Tile.
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| 1959 |
Ernest Fender, 76, retires;
Neill Boldrick, 58, and a 35-year Acme veteran, becomes president.
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| 1960 |
Acme's vital statistics: 19 plants, 32 sales offices, annual sales of 300 million brick.
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| 1961 |
Acme buys Fraser Brick and Tile, of San Antonio, adding a plant at McQueeney, TX.
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D. O. Tomlin, 46, becomes president.
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| 1962 |
J. Ernest Fender dies, age 78.
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| 1960s |
Acme develops King Size brick in Oklahoma, "Classic" brick in Denton. |
| 1963 |
Acme buys the United Brick Division of Martin Marietta,
gaining plants in Kansas City, MO (closed 1967);
Harrisonville, MO (closed 1969);
Weir, KS;
Tulsa, OK;
Oklahoma City, OK (closed 1969, reopened 1972);
Collinsville, OK (never operated);
and Coffeyville, KS (never operated)
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Following extensive renovation, and with great fanfare, Acme opens the "new" Denton Plant.
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| 1967 |
After a third round of expansion to the new Denton Plant,
the "old" Denton Plant closes after 50 years of operation.
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Acme opens a fully automated East Gate Plant at Perla, AR.
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| 1968 |
Acme makes its first nonbrick acquisition:
concrete-block maker Nolan Browne Co., of Dallas, TX.
|
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Acme purchases McDonald Brothers Cast Stone Company, of Fort Worth,
region's largest maker of precast concrete panels and cast stone.
|
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D. O. Tomlin announces purchase of United Cement Products Company
and Born Block, of Wichita, KS.
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Acme purchases the half interest in ACF Precast, of Lubbock, TX,
that McDonald didn't own, plus Concrete Casting Corporation.
|
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Acme Brick Company formally changes its name to First Worth Corporation.
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First Worth merges with the Justin Companies, of Fort Worth, and Lousiana Concrete Products. |
| 1969 |
John S. Justin Jr., 51, becomes president of First Worth Corporation. |
| 1970 |
Justin becomes president of Acme Brick; D. O. Tomlin leaves Acme. |
| 1972 |
First Worth changes names to Justin Industries, Inc.
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| 1973 |
Edward L. Stout Jr., 48, a 24-year veteran,
becomes president of Acme Brick Company.
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| 1974 |
Acme closes plants in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK.
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| 1976 |
Justin Industries adds Kingstip-Featherlite to its Building Materials group.
|
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Acme is the nation's No. 1 brickmaker in sales and production.
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| 1978 |
Banner year: Acme Brick Company sets the U.S. record for single-year brick sales. |
| 1979 |
Three years and $5.5 million in the making, the Oklahoma City Plant is put on line.
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| 1976-1979 |
A building boom prompts a flood of substandard imported brick
from Mexico into Texas. In the peak year, 1978, shipments of these
substitutes total approximately 500 million. Under leadership of Harrold Melton,
Acme develops a consumer advertising program to counter the competitive threat.
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| 1980 |
Acme closes plants in Malvern, AR; Tulsa, OK; and Edmond, OK.
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October: Acme opens the new Ouachita Plant in Malvern, AR,
which is proclaimed "Brick Capital of the World."
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| 1981 |
As housing starts hit a 35-year low,
Acme builds inventory: 400 million by year's end.
|
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Mexican brick sales drop 60% from 1978;
Acme retools its consumer advertising program to appeal to apartment dwellers
considering a new-home purchase.
|
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Acme buys plants in Jamestown, LA, and El Dorado, AR (never operated),
from Jamestown Brick and Dixie Brick--consolidating operations at the renamed
Dixie Plant in Jamestown.
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| 1983 |
Acme implements BRIX, a computerized information processing
and communication system that links plants with sales offices--forerunner of the company's current ERP solution.
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| 1984 |
Record housing starts propel Acme to record sales years in 1983 and 1984.
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| 1985 |
"New" Tulsa Plant opens, producing architectural brick, special shapes, sculptured brick and pavers.
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| 1986 |
Acme holds grand opening of its new San Felipe Plant,
west of Houston near the town of Sealy.
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| 1987 |
Acme begins stamping its name on one end of select residential brick.
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| 1979-1989 |
Acme opens new sales offices in the following cities:
Malvern and Springdale, AR;
Monroe and Shreveport, LA.;
Memphis and Nashville, TN;
Olathe, KS;
St. Louis, MO;
and Abilene, Dallas, Longview, Round Rock, and Texarkana, TX.
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| 1989 |
An investor group announces its intent to launch a takeover bid for Justin Industries. |
| 1990 |
A formal bid of $18.50 per share is rejected by Justin's board.
Counteroffers and legal action ensue, continuing at a low level into 1991.
|
1991-present |
| 1991 |
The outside investor group agrees to sell its stake
in Justin Industries to other Texas investors, and Justin agrees to pay certain legal fees;
the takeover battle is over.
|
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With celebrations throughout the year at every company facility,
Acme celebrates its 100th anniversary.
|
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Acme acquires the former Elgin-Standard brick plant from
Elgin-Butler Brick Company.
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| 1993 |
Troy Aikman, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys football team,
becomes Acme's spokeman: initially in radio and print advertising, later television.
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| 1994 |
Acme acquires American Tile Supply, a leading tile distributor and retailer in Texas. |
| 1997 |
Acme acquires Fort Worth-based Innovative Building Products,
developer and manufacturer of a mortarless installation system for glass block windows,
skylights, shower enclosures, and floors.
|
| 1998 |
Acme Brick acquires Witt Brick & Supply, which becomes Acme's Temple, TX, sales facility. |
| 1999 |
Ed Stout, 74, retires; Harrold Melton, 63, becomes president of Acme Brick Company. |
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Acme acquires the two Texas Clay brick plants located in Malakoff, TX,
and acquires the Wheeler Brick Company, in Jonesboro, AR.
|
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Justin Industries' Building Products division
is brought under the aegis of Acme Brick Company.
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| 2000 |
Acme acquires Eureka Brick Company, in Clarksville, AR.
|
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Production begins at Acme's new Elgin, TX, Handmades Plant.
|
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June 20: Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. announces intent
to acquire Justin Industries, Inc.
|
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August 1: Berkshire acquires Justin Industries, Inc.
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| 2001 |
Acme acquires a brick plant in Holly Springs, MS.
|
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Acme acquires Denver Brick Company in Castle Rock, CO.
|
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Acme annual shipments exceed 1 billion for the first time.
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| 2003 |
Acme Brick acquires distributor Angelo Brick,
which becomes Acme's San Angelo, TX, sales facility.
|
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Acme Brick residential products now carry the Good Housekeeping Seal.
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| 2004 |
Dixie Plant, in Jamestown, LA, is permanently closed.
|
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Acme replaces the aging BRIX system with a comprehensive ERP solution from JDEdwards.
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| 2005 |
Harrold Melton, 69, retires; Dennis Knautz, 52, a 23-year veteran of Acme Brick Company,
is named president and chief executive officer.
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Acme acquires brick distributor Edmond Materials, with locations in Memphis and Jackson, TN.
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| 2006 |
Acme converts Elgin Handmades Plant to stiff-mud extrusion.
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| 2007 |
To much fanfare, "Baby Clay," is born on July 4. The world's biggest brick, as certified by
the Guinness Book of World Records, travels to every plant and sales office to commemorate Acme's 116th anniversary.
|
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Due to overbuilding and the subprime mortgage crisis, housing collapses.
Acme reduces production at almost all plants and temporarily closes its Weir, Bridgeport, San Felipe and Ouachita Plants.
|
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Acme celebrates relocation of its headquarters to a new building along the Trinity River in southwest Fort Worth.
Mayor Mike Moncrief helps dedicate the facility. Brick, block, stone, IBP Glass Block Grids, and tile from all Acme facilities
are incorporated into the structure.
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| 2008 |
Acme acquires the Ochs Brick Plant in Springfield, MN;
McFarlane Stone in Bloomington, MN;
and the Ochs Brick & Stone sales office in Edina, MN. |
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Acme temporarily closes its Holly Springs, Kanopolis, and Old Bennett plants.
|
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After rebuilding the kiln, Acme restarted the San Felipe Plant.
|
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After installing a monorail system, Acme restarted the Ouachita Plant.
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| 2009 |
Due to continuing housing collapse, Acme temporarily closes the Ochs,
Perla Westgate,
Eureka,
Bennett,
McQueeney,
Garrison,
Texas Clay "A",
Tulsa,
and Denver plants.
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