HR1385 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1385 LRB094 21163 HSS 59494 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize milestone events for businesses in our State; and

WHEREAS, Alsey Refractories Company has been privately held and operated since 1906 and celebrates 100 years of business this year; the company specializes in the private branding of High Duty and Medium Duty firebrick for major manufacturers within the refractory industry; it also serves a dealer network with High Duty and Medium Duty firebrick, mortar, castable, and dry milled fireclay; and

WHEREAS, Alsey Refractories Company was organized in 1906 by Matthias Hoots as the Alsey Brick and Tile Company; the original plant was constructed from lumber used in the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis; Alsey Brick and Tile Company made shale brick using the stiff mud process and burned it in twelve wood-fired beehive kilns; and

WHEREAS, In 1911, H.T. McLaughlin, operator of McLaughlin Mining Company, bought Alsey Brick and Tile from Matthias Hoots and combined the two companies' operations of clay and coal mining; and

WHEREAS, In 1917, Alsey Brick and Tile created a company town within the town of Alsey, Illinois, called "Checkertown", most of which still remains today; in addition to operating a boardinghouse, the company built housing from its own stiff mud acid brick for its workers and rented them to workers; during later years, these homes were sold to individuals or plant employees; in 1918, the twelve beehive kilns were converted from wood to the coal mined by Alsey Brick and Tile's mining operation; over the next few years the plant facilities were enlarged and improved; in 1928 a dry press was added, allowing the manufacture of Intermediate and High Duty brick to be added to the line of stiff mud products; and

WHEREAS, Alsey's first laboratory testing took place in 1930 and production continued steadily in spite of the Depression; during World War II, Alsey Brick and Tile manufactured circle brick to line "Warm Morning" stoves which were used to heat U.S. Army barracks; mechanization came to Alsey in the postwar years; in 1948, electric motors replaced steam boilers to power the plant's machines, and the forklift enabled the palletizing of brick; and

WHEREAS, Today, Alsey's mission statement recognizes the customer as the company's most valuable asset; the company strives to serve in a friendly, personal manner while maintaining the utmost in professionalism and timeliness; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 100th anniversary of Alsey Refractories Company; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the company.