American Machine and Metals, Inc. During World War Two
East Moline, IL during World War Two
1930-Current (Current HQ located in Berwyn, PA as AMETEK)

This page started 6-7-2025.

The American Machine and Metals, Inc. was incorporated in 1930 and in the 1960s changed its name to AMETEK which is currently a multi-national company located in 31 countries with 21,000 employees.  It has grown to its current size from its humble 1930 beginnings through acquisitions. 

American Machine and Metals, Inc. won the Army-Navy "E" award five times during World War Two. 

It won its first  award on October 1, 1942.  At this point in World War Two it had 1,400 employees in East Moline, IL.

This 1942 magazine advertisement notes the company's winning of the "E" award.

American Machine and Metals, Inc.'s World War Two Products:  Table 1 shows that the company had $29,507,000 in major contracts during World War Two.  Table 2 shows that $23,314,000 or 79% was for laundry related equipment ordered by the Army Quartermasters.  $5,767,000 was for tractors and tractor parts.  This was 19.5% of the total major contracts.  Another $376,000 or 1.5% of the major contracts were for other products including parts for the M4A1 Sherman tank.  The company also produced test equipment during the war.

This World War Two era advertisement shows one of the tensile test machines the company produced in East Moline, IL. 

The Clark Equipment Company-Designed C-1A Airborne Tractor:  While American Machine and Metals, Inc.'s largest contribution to winning World War Two the the manufacture of mobile laundry equipment and machines, among vehicle historians it is most well know for producing the Clark Equipment Company C-1A airborne tractor. 

The next two paragraphs and Table 3 are from my Clark Equipment webpage.
The number of CA-1s, and which company actually built them during World War Two, is muddled and confusing.  Clark built thirteen C-1 prototypes.  It then went into production as the CA-1 in late 1942.  Delivery of the first of the originally contracted 162 units began in March 1943.  In September 1943, the American Machine and Metals, Inc. (AM&M) in Moline, IL was subcontracted for final assembly of the CA-1 using Clark provided parts.  By the time production of the CA-1 ended, AM&M was making all of the components, except for the transmissions and final drive assemblies.  Clark subcontracted the work because the CA-1 was a small production run, and it needed the production capacity for the thousands of forklifts and tractors needed by the military. 

Two numbers are given as the total number of CA-1s built during World War Two by Clark and its subcontractor, American Machine and Metals, Inc.  This depends on which historian one uses as a reference.  However, as shown below in the highlighted cells in the table and the photos below the table, Version B is correct.  My research has found two CA-1s with contract dates of 5-25-1944, as predicted by Version B.

What information there is on the relationship between Clark and American Machinery and Metals, Inc. assumes that all of the C-1As built by American Machinery and Metals, Inc. were under subcontract to Clark.  This met that any C-1A built by AM&M would have a Clark data plate.

Of the eight C-1As I had previously found while researching the Clark Equipment webpage, four had Clark data plates.  Four had no data plates or the data plates were not within camera view. 

However, on June 6, 2025, things changed.  A visit to the MVPA National Convention in Louisville, KY revealed a C-1A with an American Machinery and Metals, Inc. data plate.  This means that the company was not a total subcontractor to Clark and had its own contracts from the Army Corps of Engineers for this device.

When I researched the Clark Equipment Company in late 2017, I did not have access to the Major Contract listing.  I was not able to determine at that time whether American Machinery and Metals, Inc. was issued any contracts for the C-1A.  Table 1 shows that the company had two contracts from the Army Corps of Engineers for tractors one from the Army Quartermaster Corps.

This is the C-1A at the 2025 MVPA National Convention that shows that American Machinery and Metals, Inc. had its own contracts to build the airborne tractor.  Author's photo.

This is the data plate that shows this was built under a Army Corps of Engineers contract and not under subcontract from Clark.  Author's photo.

The data plate has a date of 3-25-1944 and an apparent serial number of 1441572.  Author's photo.

Most likely this C-1A airborne tractor was built under contract number 11117-ENG-27.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

Author's photo.

U.S. Army Quartermaster Mobile Laundries:  79% of  the company's major contracts were for laundry related equipment and mobile laundries.

This mobile laundry unit, which may have been built by American Machine and Metals, Inc. was stationed at Ferryville, Tunisia and did 25,000 pounds of laundry each day of the week to provide clean linens and bed clothes for thirty U.S. Army Medical hospital in the area. 

There are ten mobile laundries operating in this photo at Guadalcanal in 1944.  After the six month battle for the island in late 1942 and early 1943, Guadalcanal became a large island military base for the area. 

There are at least three mobile laundry units in this photo at a military camp in Oregon during World War Two. 

American Machinery and Metals, Inc. had two major contracts for ironers during World War Two.  Here ironers are being used by Quartermaster Corps troops in India. 

U.S. Navy 20mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Mounts:  On June 8, 1942, the company was commended by the U.S. Navy for for its speedy and accurate work on producing the gun mounts for navy ships.  Because there was no contract shown for this in Table 1, it indicates that the contract was for less than $50,000.

This period photo shows the gun mounts moving down the American Machinery and Metals, Inc. assembly line.

This photo shows the mounts with 20mm Oerlikon guns mounted.  This is at another manufacturer of the weapon, the Hudson Motor Car Company. 

Armored Vehicle Fans:  The company had contracts for ventilation fans for U.S. Army tanks and tank destroyers.  The 1942 "E" award advertisement shown above notes that it built "Tank Fans."  The company also had contract 11022-ORD-3992 for M4A1 parts, most likely fans. 

The company produced ventilation fans for the M4A1 Sherman tank.  Author's photo.

The fan is located underneath the round armored cover in this photo.  Author's photo.