Blaw-Knox
Blaw-Knox is a road-paving equipment brand with roots in steel fabrication, concrete construction, and highway machinery.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Blaw-Knox is an American-origin brand associated primarily with asphalt pavers, road wideners, and related highway-construction equipment. Its corporate history began in New Jersey before the Blaw-Knox name itself was created. In 1906, Jacob B. Blaw established the Blaw Collapsible Steel Centering Company to manufacture a patented collapsible steel form used in constructing improved circular concrete tubes for sewers and tunnels. In 1909, Luther Knox founded the Knox Pressed and Welded Steel Company, which produced steel goods for high-temperature applications. The two businesses merged in July 1917, forming the Blaw-Knox Company. The company initially operated across several areas of heavy industrial fabrication. In 1927 it entered radio-tower construction and became associated with a distinctive diamond-shaped design for vertical medium-wave radio towers. Some of those structures later received recognition on the United States National Register of Historic Places. In 1929, Blaw-Knox acquired A. W. French & Company, a maker of equipment for concrete-road construction. That transaction helped move the company toward the road-building machinery business for which the brand became best known. As highway engineering shifted from rigid concrete surfaces toward flexible asphalt paving, Blaw-Knox adapted its equipment portfolio. The company introduced a form-riding asphalt finisher in 1931 and followed it in 1932 with an early self-propelled, non-form-riding finisher for placing stone and asphalt. These machines represented a change from conventional paving methods that relied on forms along both sides of the road. Blaw-Knox subsequently developed road-building equipment with increasingly integrated material-handling and grading functions. Its reported milestones included the introduction of a road widener in 1943, a wheel-driven paver in 1954, and an auto-grade-and-slope paver in 1956. The brand developed equipment for both the United States and United Kingdom markets. The two markets used different paving practices: British work commonly involved a deeper asphalt mat than was typical in the United States, a difference that affected paving speeds and machine design. Blaw-Knox eventually based its United Kingdom design and manufacturing operation in Rochester, Kent, at a site previously associated with Short Brothers' flying-boat production. Blaw-Knox changed ownership repeatedly after the 1960s. White Consolidated Industries acquired the business in May 1968 and operated it through a subsidiary named Blaw-Knox Construction Equipment Corporation. In 1994, White Consolidated sold the Mattoon, Illinois-based unit to Clark Equipment Company. Clark's subsequent acquisition by Ingersoll-Rand became the subject of an antitrust dispute because Ingersoll-Rand already owned ABG, another significant paving-equipment business. Ingersoll-Rand ultimately acquired Clark in 1995 and retained Blaw-Knox's North American operations while selling the United Kingdom design and manufacturing division to Babcock. In 2007, Ingersoll-Rand sold its road-construction equipment division, including the Blaw-Knox and ABG brands, to Volvo for approximately $1.3 billion. Blaw-Knox equipment was subsequently marketed within Volvo Construction Equipment's road-machinery activities. In July 2020, Volvo Construction Equipment sold the Blaw-Knox paver business to Gencor Industries Inc. The brand therefore remains a specialized name in road-paving machinery, although its ownership and operational structure have changed substantially over time.
History
Blaw-Knox's history combines early twentieth-century steel fabrication with the development of specialized machinery for concrete and asphalt road construction. The business was formed in New Jersey in July 1917 through the merger of two companies with different but complementary industrial backgrounds. Jacob B. Blaw had created the Blaw Collapsible Steel Centering Company in 1906 to manufacture a patented collapsible steel form for circular concrete sewer and tunnel tubes. Luther Knox founded the Knox Pressed and Welded Steel Company in 1909 to produce steel products intended for high-temperature uses. Their merger created the Blaw-Knox Company and provided a broader industrial platform. The company expanded beyond its original steel-related activities during the 1920s. In 1927 it began constructing radio towers, developing a recognizable diamond-shaped design for vertical medium-wave towers. Several examples later gained historic-preservation recognition. Blaw-Knox also moved into road equipment through its 1929 purchase of A. W. French & Company, a manufacturer of machines for concrete-road construction. The transition from concrete roads to asphalt highways prompted a significant change in Blaw-Knox's product strategy. In 1931 the company introduced a form-riding finisher for asphalt paving. The following year it released a self-propelled, non-form-riding finisher for placing stone and asphalt. Earlier road construction commonly used forms positioned along the pavement edges; the newer machines helped mechanize material placement without that same form-riding arrangement. Blaw-Knox later introduced a road widener in 1943, a wheel-driven paver in 1954, and an auto-grade-and-slope paver in 1956. Blaw-Knox built a substantial road-machinery presence in the United States and United Kingdom. British paving practice generally used a deeper asphalt mat than American practice, influencing machine operation and reducing paving speed. The company's British design and manufacturing activities were eventually based in Rochester, Kent, at a former Short Brothers flying-boat site. Ownership changes became a defining feature of the brand's later history. White Consolidated Industries bought Blaw-Knox in May 1968 and used the Blaw-Knox Construction Equipment Corporation name for the subsidiary. In April 1994, White Consolidated sold the Mattoon, Illinois-based unit to Clark Equipment Company for $144 million. In 1995, Ingersoll-Rand pursued Clark in a hostile takeover. Clark raised antitrust objections because Ingersoll-Rand already owned ABG, a German paving-equipment manufacturer acquired in 1990. Clark ultimately accepted Ingersoll-Rand's higher offer in April 1995, bringing Blaw-Knox into Ingersoll-Rand's road-construction equipment division. Ingersoll-Rand sold the United Kingdom design and manufacturing operation to Babcock but retained the North American Blaw-Knox operation as a stand-alone unit. In February 2007, Ingersoll-Rand agreed to sell its road-construction equipment division to Volvo for approximately $1.3 billion. The transaction included both Blaw-Knox and ABG. Volvo Construction Equipment subsequently marketed the Blaw-Knox name in connection with paving equipment. In July 2020, Volvo sold the Blaw-Knox paver business to Gencor Industries Inc. The brand's present identity is therefore that of a specialized road-paving equipment marque operating under Gencor ownership, rather than an independently listed company.
- 1956
Auto-grade-and-slope paver developed
[1]Blaw-Knox developed a paver with automated grade-and-slope control.
- 1954
Wheel-driven paver introduced
[1]The company introduced a wheel-driven paver rather than relying on a track-driven design.
- 1943
First road widener introduced
[1]Blaw-Knox expanded its road-building equipment range with a road widener.
- 1932
Self-propelled non-form-riding finisher introduced
[1]The company released an early self-propelled machine for placing stone and asphalt without conventional form riding.
- 1931
Form-riding asphalt finisher introduced
[1]Blaw-Knox introduced a finisher designed for asphalt paving.
- 1929
A. W. French & Company acquired
[1]The acquisition brought a concrete-road equipment manufacturer into the Blaw-Knox business.
- 1927
Entry into radio-tower construction
[1]Blaw-Knox expanded into radio towers and developed its distinctive diamond-shaped medium-wave tower design.
- 1917
Blaw-Knox Company formed
[1]The Blaw and Knox companies merged in July to create Blaw-Knox.
- 1909
Knox Pressed and Welded Steel Company founded
[1]Luther Knox formed a steel-products company serving high-temperature industrial applications.
- 1906
Blaw Collapsible Steel Centering Company founded
[1]Jacob B. Blaw established a New Jersey company producing collapsible steel forms for circular concrete sewer and tunnel construction.
Products and positioning
A specialist heavy-equipment brand focused on road paving, asphalt placement, grading, and highway construction, with historical credibility in steel fabrication and construction machinery.
Road construction equipment · 1931
Asphalt pavers
Blaw-Knox's core product family consisted of asphalt pavers for distributing hot-mix material and forming a controlled road surface. The equipment used a front hopper, conveyors, augers, and a rear screed to move and spread asphalt. The brand produced both track-driven and wheel-driven designs and later incorporated automated grade-and-slope functions.
Road construction equipment · 1943
Road wideners
Road wideners were developed for placing paving material across broader or expanded sections of roadway. Blaw-Knox introduced its first road widener in 1943, extending the company's equipment range beyond standard paving-finisher configurations.
Broadcasting infrastructure · 1927
Radio towers
During the late 1920s and afterward, Blaw-Knox constructed vertical medium-wave radio towers. Its diamond-shaped tower configuration became especially recognizable, and some surviving examples have been placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
Steel fabrication · 1906
Steel construction forms
The company's earliest business was based on collapsible steel centering forms used to build circular concrete tubes for sewer and tunnel projects. These products supplied the technical foundation for Blaw-Knox's later expansion into construction machinery.
Brand decisions
2020
Blaw-Knox paver business sold to GencorM&ABackground
Volvo Construction Equipment reviewed the ownership of its paving-equipment activities.
Action taken
In July 2020, Volvo Construction Equipment sold the Blaw-Knox paver business to Gencor Industries Inc.
Aftermath
Gencor became the owner associated with the Blaw-Knox paver brand.
2007
Road-construction equipment division sold to VolvoM&ABackground
Ingersoll-Rand reorganized its portfolio and agreed to divest its road-construction equipment activities.
Action taken
Ingersoll-Rand sold the division, including the Blaw-Knox and ABG brands, to Volvo.
Aftermath
Blaw-Knox became part of Volvo Construction Equipment's road-machinery business.
Transaction value. $1.3 billion (February 2007)
1995
Clark Equipment accepts Ingersoll-Rand's takeover offerM&ABackground
Ingersoll-Rand's proposed acquisition of Clark raised competition concerns because Ingersoll-Rand already owned ABG, a German paving-equipment company.
Action taken
After initially objecting to the transaction, Clark accepted Ingersoll-Rand's increased offer in April 1995.
Aftermath
Blaw-Knox became part of Ingersoll-Rand's road-construction equipment division. Ingersoll-Rand later sold the United Kingdom design and manufacturing operation to Babcock while retaining North American operations.
Acquisition offer value. $1.34 billion → $1.5 billion (1995)
1929
Acquisition of A. W. French & CompanyM&ABackground
Blaw-Knox sought to extend its steel and concrete-construction expertise into specialized road-building machinery.
Action taken
The company purchased A. W. French & Company, which manufactured equipment for concrete-road construction.
Aftermath
The acquisition helped establish the road-equipment business that later became central to the Blaw-Knox brand.
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