2019_1_Louis A. Nelson Pattern & Model Makers_Bloomfield, NJ
Very interesting business.........it looks like it's in a house, and it is located in a predominately residential neighborhood, across the street from a park. I've driven past it for over 25 years. The non-descript sign (I don't believe there is any signage on the front of the business) caught my eye even as a young man. I had no idea what a 'pattern' or 'model' maker was. I did not think they were still in business, however, this is what I found on the Innerwebs.
L A Nelson Inc. was founded over fifty years ago by Louis August Nelson. Lou was a proud man and very talented in his trade...Patternmaking. In a small garage on Grove street in East Orange New Jersey Lou had a dream...to build a business of skilled craftsmen and provide quality service to the foundry industry. The company was growing fast and Lou had hired some of the best patternmakers on the east coast. These men were from all different ethnic backgrounds Italian, German, English, and Polish. In 1955 he hired a skilled patternmaker named Thomas W. Sibilia, who in 1969, along with Montero Cariani and Richard Knorr bought the company from Lou . These young men helped build L A Nelson to become one of the largest pattern shops on the east coast. With over 18 patternmakers working on the bench Nelsons provided patterns for such large companies as Westinghouse, General Electric, Singer, and ITT Avionics. They kept the name Louis A. Nelson Inc. because it meant quality and good service. In 1987 Richard left the company, and in 1988 Thomas passed on, leaving the company to Montero and Helen Sibilia. In 1989 L A Nelson started moving forward in a new direction...computer aided manufacturing. We bought our first CNC and computer for programming and built up from there to now having five machines.
2019_1_Louis A. Nelson Pattern & Model Makers_Bloomfield, NJ
Very interesting business.........it looks like it's in a house, and it is located in a predominately residential neighborhood, across the street from a park. I've driven past it for over 25 years. The non-descript sign (I don't believe there is any signage on the front of the business) caught my eye even as a young man. I had no idea what a 'pattern' or 'model' maker was. I did not think they were still in business, however, this is what I found on the Innerwebs.
L A Nelson Inc. was founded over fifty years ago by Louis August Nelson. Lou was a proud man and very talented in his trade...Patternmaking. In a small garage on Grove street in East Orange New Jersey Lou had a dream...to build a business of skilled craftsmen and provide quality service to the foundry industry. The company was growing fast and Lou had hired some of the best patternmakers on the east coast. These men were from all different ethnic backgrounds Italian, German, English, and Polish. In 1955 he hired a skilled patternmaker named Thomas W. Sibilia, who in 1969, along with Montero Cariani and Richard Knorr bought the company from Lou . These young men helped build L A Nelson to become one of the largest pattern shops on the east coast. With over 18 patternmakers working on the bench Nelsons provided patterns for such large companies as Westinghouse, General Electric, Singer, and ITT Avionics. They kept the name Louis A. Nelson Inc. because it meant quality and good service. In 1987 Richard left the company, and in 1988 Thomas passed on, leaving the company to Montero and Helen Sibilia. In 1989 L A Nelson started moving forward in a new direction...computer aided manufacturing. We bought our first CNC and computer for programming and built up from there to now having five machines.