The photo at 7:40 in this video is the Schlitz Brewing Co and was located on 3rd & Walnut, Milwaukee Wisconsin. In the early/mid 80's I watched them remove the tanks from that building. We had a high school field trip to the A.O.Smith plant ,which was amazing. What really stuck in my mind was the robot welders and the massive cafeteria with all that great food we all ate that day. My older brother worked at AOS for 5 years before that plant shut down and still will tell you to this day that it was the best place he ever worked for.
I worked there at the GC plant from 76-80 as a welder and inspector when they were still building full sized frames for GM, it shut down during the gas crises. They shut the plant down and retooled it to manufacture the smaller frames.
I remember when I was a kid, my Dad driving by AO Smith in Milwaukee and seeing all those frames stacked up. He told me what they were but didn't really get it at the time.
A.o.smith totally dominated the sprinkler and pool pump original and replacement motors during the 90s and 2000s. To this day people still ask for a.o.s. motors when ordering a motor ... just like asking for a coke. We don't even bother correcting them we automatically know they just mean " give me the best"
@@tonyc.4528 we had one full of high moisture corn the unloader dug out huge void in bottom then wooshhhhhhh the top fell down and sucked it in like a soda can !! I think my ass is still a Lil tight after 40 years from standing beside it lol
Sears and Robot? A little off on the Harvestore years, I have original sales literature dated 1946! I know the Harvestores are maintenance intensive, but they look cool, and man the feed smells awesome coming out. My farm "family" in Iowa loves their Harvestore silos.
wow....what a great video, never had any idea just how much A.O. Smith built, even though seeing it on a lot off diverse products, always thought it was multiple companies......fantastic history,,,,,,you did a great job on this.....new subscriber from Florida, Paul
The tall blue Harvestore silos on farms across the landscape are iconic. Sales exploded in the 1960s and 70s, then fell off a cliff. They were "THE" feed storage systems for dairy and feedlot farms at the time. Farmers judged each others success by the number and height of silos, and scrambled to keep up with each other, and were attracted to the concept of completely mechanised feeding at the push of a button. However the silos and the unloaders were expensive and needed difficult and dangerous upkeep, and eventually wore out. By that time the farm recession could not afford replacements, and the small dairy farms that were staples of Harvestore were rapidly folding. The consolidated large farms saw the upright silos as productivity bottlenecks. Ground based concrete trenches to hold silage could be filled much more rapidly with dump trucks rather than be blown up a tall pipe. They could be fed out and unloaded by tractors without special machinery. The Harvestores became known as "blue tombstones" or "auction markers"; if the farmer overextended himself to "keep up with the neighbour's" and buy those, surely it would mean the farms financial failure. Nowadays in rural farms, if the blue or concrete towers haven't already been torn down, then they very likely have been sitting idle and empty for years, even on farms with barns that continue to house livestock.
27:00. GSW [General Steel Wares] water heater plant in Guelph, Ontario, was the last remnant of the Beatty Brothers from the early 20th century, making farm & barn equipment, appliances and electrical equipment and was a household name across rural Canada and the British Empire. AO Smith rewarded the city by closing the plant to move production to Mexico. In my basement is one of the last of Canadian production water heaters.
I'm surprised that auto manufacturers don't make their own frames. They were no afraid to go international as well as sell what were core businesses in their past.
Sorry, I'm a plumber for 28 years now, it's not a hot water heater, it's just a water heater. If the water was already hot,the heater wouldn't be needed. 😆 I remember in the late 90's to the early 2000's A.O.S. were using cheaper dip tubes, ( I think it was a 5 year time frame ) causing them to have a recall on a ton of water heaters. This gave them a bad name ( in the plumbing industry ) up until around 2015-2016. Now, besides Bradford White, they are the top recommended water heaters. They also make a very well built hybrid water heater. It will cost you extra, but money well spent.
Growing up our next door neighbor worked at that plant. I had no idea what they made there, I was just a kid then but going by that building it had to be 1/4 mile long.
@@backachershomestead Yes, I grew up there. I lived across the street from the Greater Kankakee Airport. It was about the mid 80s that Kankakee started dying and everyone was moving to Bradley/Bourbonnais... including us. I visit family every now and then and driving thru Kankakee is more of a dejavu type thing. You remember places like they were because now its not home anymore. Kankakee was a pretty decent place way back when. Chicago suburbs have spread so far south I think its future isn't very bright either.
Water heaters heat cold water, therefore they are not " Hot Water Heaters " they are " Water Heaters " technically they are " Cold Water Heaters " but they're definitely not hot water heaters. They produce hot water, if the water was already hot, they wouldn't be necessary. As a plumber, it's just a peeve of mine. Have a beautiful and blessed day everyone 🙏
@@davidwark9971 I stand corrected. You have a very valid point. After 28 years of plumbing, I never looked at it that way. Thank you David. Much Aloha brother 🤙🏼
This subject is very interesting and worthy of a quality report. Unfortunately, this is not that report. The video is filled with inaccuracies and mispronounced words. The narratation is so aphasic as to be nearly incomprehensible. Why is this done so poorly?
Narration done by computer generated robo-voice that can't say some words properly that are second nature to humans. The producer uses this because either he is not confident enough to do it himself and it is cheaper than hiring a pro.
My mom made propeller blades for B 29s in Milwaukee during World War 2. She quit the day that the war ended, walked over to Delta and got a job. Her coworkers at Smith were laid off the next day.
The photo at 7:40 in this video is the Schlitz Brewing Co and was located on 3rd & Walnut, Milwaukee Wisconsin. In the early/mid 80's I watched them remove the tanks from that building. We had a high school field trip to the A.O.Smith plant ,which was amazing. What really stuck in my mind was the robot welders and the massive cafeteria with all that great food we all ate that day. My older brother worked at AOS for 5 years before that plant shut down and still will tell you to this day that it was the best place he ever worked for.
I worked at the Milwaukee plant during the mid 70's. A good place to work.
I didn't know AOS had so many different products.
I was a welder at AOS in Granite City ILLINOIS in the 90’s. We built engine cradles for the Ford Taurus.
I worked there at the GC plant from 76-80 as a welder and inspector when they were still building full sized frames for GM, it shut down during the gas crises. They shut the plant down and retooled it to manufacture the smaller frames.
As my initials are A.O. this video plum tickled my heart. Now that's an American success story!
I remember when I was a kid, my Dad driving by AO Smith in Milwaukee and seeing all those frames stacked up. He told me what they were but didn't really get it at the time.
Ahh the AO Smith Harvestore.... great silo... had 2 of them also had 2 of the water heaters... great products
A.o.smith totally dominated the sprinkler and pool pump original and replacement motors during the 90s and 2000s. To this day people still ask for a.o.s. motors when ordering a motor ... just like asking for a coke. We don't even bother correcting them we automatically know they just mean " give me the best"
When the unloader broke in those silos, you were screwed.
Better yet did you ever see one implode when a hole collapsed at unloader ?
@@kennethbower6040 no, I can only imagine!
@@tonyc.4528 we had one full of high moisture corn the unloader dug out huge void in bottom then wooshhhhhhh the top fell down and sucked it in like a soda can !!
I think my ass is still a Lil tight after 40 years from standing beside it lol
Sears and Robot? A little off on the Harvestore years, I have original sales literature dated 1946! I know the Harvestores are maintenance intensive, but they look cool, and man the feed smells awesome coming out. My farm "family" in Iowa loves their Harvestore silos.
wow....what a great video, never had any idea just how much A.O. Smith built, even though seeing it on a lot off diverse products, always thought it was multiple companies......fantastic history,,,,,,you did a great job on this.....new subscriber from Florida, Paul
My uncles both had several Harvestore siloes helped fill them many times! Helped pull unloader out to work on once to what a pain!
Many farmers went broke with the blue tubes of death
U ever level silage with pitchfork in midsummer. Glad i left farm
The tall blue Harvestore silos on farms across the landscape are iconic. Sales exploded in the 1960s and 70s, then fell off a cliff. They were "THE" feed storage systems for dairy and feedlot farms at the time. Farmers judged each others success by the number and height of silos, and scrambled to keep up with each other, and were attracted to the concept of completely mechanised feeding at the push of a button. However the silos and the unloaders were expensive and needed difficult and dangerous upkeep, and eventually wore out. By that time the farm recession could not afford replacements, and the small dairy farms that were staples of Harvestore were rapidly folding. The consolidated large farms saw the upright silos as productivity bottlenecks. Ground based concrete trenches to hold silage could be filled much more rapidly with dump trucks rather than be blown up a tall pipe. They could be fed out and unloaded by tractors without special machinery. The Harvestores became known as "blue tombstones" or "auction markers"; if the farmer overextended himself to "keep up with the neighbour's" and buy those, surely it would mean the farms financial failure. Nowadays in rural farms, if the blue or concrete towers haven't already been torn down, then they very likely have been sitting idle and empty for years, even on farms with barns that continue to house livestock.
27:00. GSW [General Steel Wares] water heater plant in Guelph, Ontario, was the last remnant of the Beatty Brothers from the early 20th century, making farm & barn equipment, appliances and electrical equipment and was a household name across rural Canada and the British Empire. AO Smith rewarded the city by closing the plant to move production to Mexico. In my basement is one of the last of Canadian production water heaters.
Quite the company it has evolved since producing bikes 100 years ago
I'm surprised that auto manufacturers don't make their own frames. They were no afraid to go international as well as sell what were core businesses in their past.
No mention of them making Shelby Mustang's from 1968 to 1970. How could they leave that out ?
Very nice
An A.O.Smith is currently providing hot water to my family - nothing but praise for their hot water heaters!
Sorry, I'm a plumber for 28 years now, it's not a hot water heater, it's just a water heater. If the water was already hot,the heater wouldn't be needed. 😆
I remember in the late 90's to the early 2000's A.O.S. were using cheaper dip tubes, ( I think it was a 5 year time frame ) causing them to have a recall on a ton of water heaters. This gave them a bad name ( in the plumbing industry ) up until around 2015-2016. Now, besides Bradford White, they are the top recommended water heaters. They also make a very well built hybrid water heater. It will cost you extra, but money well spent.
I'm sorry. I have had poor luck with A.O.Smith water heaters in a commercial establishment. Poor quality.
Work for tower automotive. Frames still a big part of business plan
I worked for oil companies over the they made gas pumps I've worked on several of them
What about ao smith boilers, yea they mentioned the water heaters but not a thing about their boilers .
Hilarious! "Sears & Robot", "...a whole mirage of problems". The list of international subsidiaries is unintelligible.
AO SMITH IS MAKING TODAY WATER SOFTNER? STATE WATER HEATERS WAS PURCHASED BY AO SMITH, RIGHT? ARE THE SAME COMPANY?
I think you can order a A O smith hot water heaters
They had a plant in Kankakee Illinois. I believe they also made the steel silo sections also.
Growing up our next door neighbor worked at that plant. I had no idea what they made there, I was just a kid then but going by that building it had to be 1/4 mile long.
@@JessicaTG2008 Kankakee used to be a booming spot. Sad what is now. They have lost so much.
@@backachershomestead Yes, I grew up there. I lived across the street from the Greater Kankakee Airport. It was about the mid 80s that Kankakee started dying and everyone was moving to Bradley/Bourbonnais... including us. I visit family every now and then and driving thru Kankakee is more of a dejavu type thing. You remember places like they were because now its not home anymore. Kankakee was a pretty decent place way back when. Chicago suburbs have spread so far south I think its future isn't very bright either.
@@JessicaTG2008 I grew up in rural Onarga. Lived in Herscher for 21 years. Then moved to Tennessee
@@backachershomestead No kidding, My father grew up in Onarga, grandparents lived there until 2005 or so. Small world I guess.
2:20 I wonder if the safeway grocery chain took their logo/name from this design.
Aside from the AI narrator, the video was interesting history.
Water heaters heat cold water, therefore they are not " Hot Water Heaters " they are " Water Heaters " technically they are " Cold Water Heaters " but they're definitely not hot water heaters. They produce hot water, if the water was already hot, they wouldn't be necessary. As a plumber, it's just a peeve of mine. Have a beautiful and blessed day everyone 🙏
No the heat cold water the first time they are started then they heat hot water to hotter for the rest of their life…😉
fantastic.....
@@davidwark9971 I stand corrected. You have a very valid point. After 28 years of plumbing, I never looked at it that way. Thank you David. Much Aloha brother 🤙🏼
There were alot of lawsuits over harveststore silos in the late seventies and eighties
Harvestors had good salesmen who overstated the performance of the silos.
Two areas missed ATM's and train-line components for railroad cars.
Yes, I’ve only heard of A.O. Smith in connection with ATMs.
It's called an American success story.
Why do you use the synthetic narration?! This ruins the video!
The video content was very good. The jerky narration was really bad.
AO Smith water heater plant in mcbee SC was a shitty place to work.
Bot voice overs......
This subject is very interesting and worthy of a quality report. Unfortunately, this is not that report. The video is filled with inaccuracies and mispronounced words. The narratation is so aphasic as to be nearly incomprehensible. Why is this done so poorly?
Narration done by computer generated robo-voice that can't say some words properly that are second nature to humans. The producer uses this because either he is not confident enough to do it himself and it is cheaper than hiring a pro.
I liked thus video and it was really interesting. I live in the blue silo belt...
The impartial vision histologically scorch because lute intradurally soak besides a cool october. plant, caring mandolin
My mom made propeller blades for B 29s in Milwaukee during World War 2. She quit the day that the war ended, walked over to Delta and got a job. Her coworkers at Smith were laid off the next day.