Company History
On April 1, 1948 a charter was issued by the State of Missouri creating a corporation, known then as Wagner Manufacturing Company, Inc. The incorporators were Harry Wagner, Paul Leonard and Matt Schuch. The objective of the corporation was to engage in the manufacture of quality products, their distribution and sale throughout the world.
Mr. Schuch and Mr. Wagner withdrew from the company and in 1956 the name of the corporation was changed from Wagner Manufacturing Company, Inc. to Lenco, Inc. and the trade name for electrode holders and ground clamps of "HI-AMP" was adopted and registered. Paul Leonard remained as Chairman of the Board and President until his death in 1981.
In September 1955, the first step was taken to diversify the manufacturing facilities of Lenco, Inc. Andrew Perrin, formerly Vice President of Koch Plastic Manufacturing Company, joined Lenco with the direct responsibility of organizing a department for the custom molding of plastic, straight compression, transfer and injection molding. This department grew into a valuable division with an excellent reputation for quality molded products at reasonable prices.
In June of 1961, Roy W. Poe joined the staff as Sales Manager of the Welding Accessory Division, bringing with him over twelve years of sales management experience in the welding field. He was charged with the responsibility of organizing and directing a sales force to expand sales world wide. This he did in organizing an effective sales organization which Lenco believed was second to none.
In October 1964, Lenco's third division was started for manufacturing a series resistance spot welder (the PANELSPOTTER) to repair bodies on wrecked automobiles. It produced two welds at one time from one side of twenty gauge metal, enabling the automotive body repair shops to spot in fenders, door skins or quarter panels to repair damaged parts of an automobile body.
In July 1971, Lenco purchased the Aljay Safety Clothing Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia. The facilities were moved to Jackson to become the fourth division, the Lenco Leather Division. Industrial leather clothing and other items used in the protective field of welding as well as other industries were offered to the distributor and consumer through this division. Products such as leather jackets, overalls, aprons, sleeves, spats, curtains, etc. were produced with excellent quality at fair and reasonable retail prices.
In August of 1971, the company purchased a new modern foundry from Decatur, Illinois, built a new building and moved the equipment to Jackson. Lenco had been doing molding of non-ferrous metals since 1950 in a small, "captive" foundry, making parts for its own use. With the addition of the new modern foundry, the fifth division was established which equipped the company to "custom" mold parts for other industries.
In September 1971, the assets of Mustang Electronics Company of Dallas, Texas were purchased and moved to Jackson to establish the sixth division. A complete redesign of the manufacture of video equipment was undertaken. The Electronic Division engaged in making advanced quality equipment for television broadcast, closed circuit television and CATV. Included in the items manufactured were black and white cameras, color encoders meeting NTSC requirements, sync generators, distribution amplifiers and many other items used in generating good clear video pictures.
Over the years the company expanded from its original location at 350 West Adams Street to cover 1 1/2 blocks of West Main Street and has approximately 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space.
After Paul Leonard's death, the company was eventually sold to Jerry Ford, a local businessman, who ran the company from 1984 until 1989.
In late 1989, the assets of Lenco, Inc. were purchased by NLC, Inc. (New Lenco Company, Inc.), a new company formed by Associated Equipment Company of Pearland, Texas and David Hoelscher of Midland, Texas. At that time several of the divisions were sold or discontinued.
NLC, Inc. manufactures and sells a complete line of LENCO arc welding accessories which includes electrode holders, rod ovens, ground clamps, cable connectors, international dinse type machine plugs, lugs, splicers, and chipping hammers.
In March of 2000, NLC, Inc. completed the purchase of the Duro line of electrode holders from Duro Engineering, Inc. located in Connecticut and moved all manufacturing to their plant in Jackson. The Duro holder had been a recognized brand in the industry since the 1930's.
NLC, Inc. manufactures an updated version of the original series resistance spot welder, dent pulling systems used in auto body repair, along with a wide variety of auto body repair equipment. Two resistance spot welders were added to the line which work with more modern methods of body work because of the higher power required.
The Plastics Division still produces custom molded parts for a limited number of customers. NLC, Inc. primarily uses this division to manufacture parts utilized in its other divisions.
The foundry, like the Plastics Division, is used to make parts for internal use.
NLC, Inc. is positioned to continue to meet the needs of the marketplace in the welding industry. Its products are sold through the welding supply distribution network throughout the United States and world markets.
Mr. Schuch and Mr. Wagner withdrew from the company and in 1956 the name of the corporation was changed from Wagner Manufacturing Company, Inc. to Lenco, Inc. and the trade name for electrode holders and ground clamps of "HI-AMP" was adopted and registered. Paul Leonard remained as Chairman of the Board and President until his death in 1981.
In September 1955, the first step was taken to diversify the manufacturing facilities of Lenco, Inc. Andrew Perrin, formerly Vice President of Koch Plastic Manufacturing Company, joined Lenco with the direct responsibility of organizing a department for the custom molding of plastic, straight compression, transfer and injection molding. This department grew into a valuable division with an excellent reputation for quality molded products at reasonable prices.
In June of 1961, Roy W. Poe joined the staff as Sales Manager of the Welding Accessory Division, bringing with him over twelve years of sales management experience in the welding field. He was charged with the responsibility of organizing and directing a sales force to expand sales world wide. This he did in organizing an effective sales organization which Lenco believed was second to none.
In October 1964, Lenco's third division was started for manufacturing a series resistance spot welder (the PANELSPOTTER) to repair bodies on wrecked automobiles. It produced two welds at one time from one side of twenty gauge metal, enabling the automotive body repair shops to spot in fenders, door skins or quarter panels to repair damaged parts of an automobile body.
In July 1971, Lenco purchased the Aljay Safety Clothing Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia. The facilities were moved to Jackson to become the fourth division, the Lenco Leather Division. Industrial leather clothing and other items used in the protective field of welding as well as other industries were offered to the distributor and consumer through this division. Products such as leather jackets, overalls, aprons, sleeves, spats, curtains, etc. were produced with excellent quality at fair and reasonable retail prices.
In August of 1971, the company purchased a new modern foundry from Decatur, Illinois, built a new building and moved the equipment to Jackson. Lenco had been doing molding of non-ferrous metals since 1950 in a small, "captive" foundry, making parts for its own use. With the addition of the new modern foundry, the fifth division was established which equipped the company to "custom" mold parts for other industries.
In September 1971, the assets of Mustang Electronics Company of Dallas, Texas were purchased and moved to Jackson to establish the sixth division. A complete redesign of the manufacture of video equipment was undertaken. The Electronic Division engaged in making advanced quality equipment for television broadcast, closed circuit television and CATV. Included in the items manufactured were black and white cameras, color encoders meeting NTSC requirements, sync generators, distribution amplifiers and many other items used in generating good clear video pictures.
Over the years the company expanded from its original location at 350 West Adams Street to cover 1 1/2 blocks of West Main Street and has approximately 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space.
After Paul Leonard's death, the company was eventually sold to Jerry Ford, a local businessman, who ran the company from 1984 until 1989.
In late 1989, the assets of Lenco, Inc. were purchased by NLC, Inc. (New Lenco Company, Inc.), a new company formed by Associated Equipment Company of Pearland, Texas and David Hoelscher of Midland, Texas. At that time several of the divisions were sold or discontinued.
NLC, Inc. manufactures and sells a complete line of LENCO arc welding accessories which includes electrode holders, rod ovens, ground clamps, cable connectors, international dinse type machine plugs, lugs, splicers, and chipping hammers.
In March of 2000, NLC, Inc. completed the purchase of the Duro line of electrode holders from Duro Engineering, Inc. located in Connecticut and moved all manufacturing to their plant in Jackson. The Duro holder had been a recognized brand in the industry since the 1930's.
NLC, Inc. manufactures an updated version of the original series resistance spot welder, dent pulling systems used in auto body repair, along with a wide variety of auto body repair equipment. Two resistance spot welders were added to the line which work with more modern methods of body work because of the higher power required.
The Plastics Division still produces custom molded parts for a limited number of customers. NLC, Inc. primarily uses this division to manufacture parts utilized in its other divisions.
The foundry, like the Plastics Division, is used to make parts for internal use.
NLC, Inc. is positioned to continue to meet the needs of the marketplace in the welding industry. Its products are sold through the welding supply distribution network throughout the United States and world markets.