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Sullivan Machinery Company During World War Two
Michigan City, IN Plant
1923 - Current
This page added 12-14-2024.
In 1868 the Sullivan Machinery Company was
founded in Claremont, NH for the manufacture of mining, prospecting, oil
field exploration, and industrial construction equipment. In 1923
the company purchased 125 acres of land in Michigan City, IN for the
building of a new factory. The Michigan City, IN plant began
production in the same year. During World War Two the Michigan
City Plant was the largest producer of war products between the two
different plants. Michigan City had $7,400,000 in major contracts
and Claremont, NH had $4,258,000 in major contracts.
In 1965 the Michigan City plant was purchased
by a private individual and in 1968 the company changed its name to
Sullair. The company is currently owned by Hitachi.
The Sullivan Machinery Company, Michigan
City, IN plant won the Army-Navy "E" Flag four times during World
War
Two. It won for the first time on 4-27-1943.
The Sullivan Machinery Company, Michigan
City, IN Plant World War Two Products: Table 1 shows the
company had $7,400,000 in major wartime contracts consisting of air
compressors, construction equipment, ordnance material, drilling
equipment, portable bomb hoists, and airplane equipment.
Table 1 - Sullivan Machinery
Company's Major World War Two Contracts - Michigan City, IN
Plant
The information below
comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply
Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945." This was
published by the Civilian Production Administration,
Industrial Statistics Division, Requirements and Progress
Branch January 21, 1946. |
|
Product-Customer |
Contract Amount |
Contract Awarded
|
Completion
Date |
| Air Compressors -
Army Corps of Engineers |
$499,000 |
7-1940 |
12-1941 |
| Compressors Air -
Navy |
$93,000 |
2-1941 |
4-1941 |
| Compressors Air -
Navy |
$77,000 |
6-1941 |
7-1941 |
| Air Compressor
Parts - Army Corps of Engineers |
$349,000 |
9-1941 |
6-1942 |
| Compressors Air -
Navy |
$57,000 |
12-1941 |
1-1942 |
| Compressors Air -
Navy |
$71,000 |
12-1941 |
12-1941 |
| Air Compressors -
Navy |
$89,000 |
12-1941 |
9-1942 |
| Equipment
Construction - Army Corps of Engineers |
$104,000 |
1-1942 |
4-1942 |
| Air Compressors -
Navy |
$54,000 |
1-1942 |
8-1942 |
| Construction
Equipment - Treasury Department |
$416,000 |
4-1942 |
11-1942 |
| Drilling
Equipment - Treasury Department |
$215,000 |
4-1942 |
1-1943 |
| Ordnance Material
- Navy |
$888,000 |
6-1942 |
12-1943 |
| Machines
Industrial - Treasury Department |
$108,000 |
3-1943 |
7-1943 |
| Compressors Air -
Navy |
$84,000 |
4-1943 |
6-1943 |
| Hoists -
Navy |
$756,000 |
4-1943 |
4-1944 |
| Portable
Bomb Hoists - Navy |
$1,154,000 |
6-1943 |
6-1945 |
| Air Compressors -
Maritime Commission |
$211,000 |
7-1943 |
9-1944 |
| Airplane
Equipment - USAAF |
$269,000 |
10-1943 |
6-1945 |
| Air Compressors -
Navy |
$56,000 |
11-1943 |
4-1945 |
| Core Drills -
Treasury Department |
$195,000 |
12-1943 |
6-1944 |
| Air Compressors -
Navy |
$233,000 |
5-1944 |
6-1945 |
| Drill Rods -
Treasury Department |
$90,000 |
5-1944 |
12-1944 |
| Air Compressors -
Navy |
$195,000 |
8-1944 |
10-1945 |
| Air
Compressors - Navy |
$414,000 |
9-1944 |
12-1945 |
| Drills - Treasury
Department |
$248,000 |
10-1944 |
10-1945 |
|
Drills - Treasury Department |
$131,000 |
10-1944 |
5-1945 |
| Core
Drills- Army Corps of Engineers |
$87,000 |
11-1944 |
12-1945 |
| Air Compressors -
Navy |
$97,000 |
2-1945 |
4-1946 |
| Air Compressors -
Navy |
$98,000 |
3-1945 |
1-1946 |
| Air Compressor
Parts - Navy |
$62,000 |
3-1945 |
7-1945 |
| Total |
$7,400,000 |
|
|
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Table 2 - Sullivan Machinery
Company's Navy Contracts |
|
Product |
Amount |
|
Compressors - Navy |
$1,618,000 |
|
Portable Hoists - Navy |
$1,910,000 |
|
Total |
$3,528,000 |
Army Corps of
Engineers Air Compressor Trucks:
The Army Corps of Engineers contract
released on 7-1941 for $499,000 was contract number 978-ENG-1260.
This contract was for 79 air compressor trucks mounted on
Marmon-Herrington 4x4 trucks. The chassis' were Ford 4x2 COEs
which Marmon-Herrington then converted into 4x4s. Sullivan
Machinery Company in Michigan City, IN then mounted its air
compressor units on the trucks. Based on the contract cost and
the number built, the average cost of the Sullivan compressor units
was $6,317 each.
This and the photo below are the only known
photos of the Sullivan air compressor trucks. This forlorn-looking
truck is in an unknown automotive scrap yard. Truck historian and
collector Jeff Lakaszcyck provided these two photos from his large
vintage truck photo collection.
This photo shows the Sullivan Machinery Company air compressor unit
mounted on the bed of the truck. At the same time Sullivan was
building the air compressors and mounting on the Ford
COE/Marmon-Herrington trucks, the Le Roi Company of West Allis, WI was
also providing the Army Corps of Engineers with compressor trucks.
After the initial contracts with both companies, the Army Corps of
Engineers chose Le Roi as its only supplier of compressor trucks for the
rest of World War Two. The Sullivan-built trucks were most likely
used for training or for domestic duty in the United States. Their
history is not known.
U.S. Navy Air Compressors: Table
2 shows that the U.S. Navy awarded Sullivan Machinery Company $1,618,000
for air compressors. The only known use for these was on board U.S.
Navy ships. The following three photos of a Sullivan-built air
compressor are from an application on a navy ship.
This is a Sullivan Model EA and was driven
by a 20 hp motor. Its use was on a cargo ship.
U.S. Navy Portable Bomb Hoists:
Table 2 shows that the company had $1,910,000 bomb and portable bomb
hoists for the U.S. Navy. The navy had four different types of
portable bomb hoists in use during World War Two. These were the
Mark 5, Mark 6, Mark 7, and the Type C-3. The bomb hoists
were used to pull bombs up onto the wings of fighter bombers or into the
bomb bays of its multi-engine patrol aircraft. Sullivan could have
built any or all of these types for the Navy.
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