Russell, Burdsall & Ward Bolt and Nut Company

Russell, Burdsall & Ward Bolt and Nut Company, commonly known as RB&W, is one of the oldest fastener manufacturers in the United States. Its origins trace to 1844, when William Evans Ward, a Philadelphia-trained machinist, arrived in New York and befriended Ellwood Burdsall, a fellow Quaker and bookkeeper. The two men, along with other early figures such as Emil C. Boerner, built a business that grew from primitive blacksmith methods into a major industrial producer of bolts and nuts. The company became known for quality workmanship, a reputation largely credited to Mary B. Alcott, who joined in 1860 and oversaw inspection, nutting, and packing for fifty-three years. Samuel Comly, who joined in 1863, pioneered the idea of sending salesmen across the country, helping establish RB&W as a national force in the bolt and nut industry. Over the decades, RB&W evolved into a leader in cold-forming technology. Today, RB&W Corporation and its manufacturing arm, RB&W Manufacturing LLC, are among the largest producers of cold-formed parts in the United States. The company serves the transportation industry, with its fasteners found on millions of cars and trucks in hundreds of critical applications. Its product lines include SPAC® lightweight material solutions focused on aluminum, high-strength steels, and magnesium, as well as engineered cold-formed products that leverage high-strength grain flow and high-tolerance machining. RB&W is a subsidiary of Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation, a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: PKOH) incorporated in 1967, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and led by CEO Matthew Crawford. Park-Ohio reported approximately $1.8 billion in 2019 revenues and employs about 6,000 people worldwide. RB&W itself has business operations in eight countries, reflecting its global reach. The company continues to grow as a key supplier to the automotive and automotive aftermarket industries, building on a legacy of innovation that dates back more than 175 years.

The history of Russell, Burdsall & Ward Bolt and Nut Company begins in the era before the company was formed, when blacksmiths made practically all bolts and nuts with a hammer, anvil, and vise. In 1844, William Evans Ward came to New York, having learned the machinist's trade in Philadelphia. He found employment at a Manhattan iron works and, being a Quaker, secured quarters in a boarding house on Mott Street run by Hannah Ketcham, a member of the Society of Friends. Ellwood Burdsall, also a Quaker and a bookkeeper in a New York stove foundry, likewise lived at Mrs. Ketcham's. Ward and Burdsall became fast friends. Another early personality was Emil C. Boerner, who was afterward in Port Chester. Mary B. Alcott entered the firm in 1860, taking charge of inspection and the nutting and packing of bolts. She stayed fifty-three years, and the high reputation of the company for quality is due in large measure to the foundation she laid for good workmanship. Her dry wit withered any attempt to get by with mediocre goods, and she died in 1913. The idea of sending men out over the country to sell the company's products was first conceived by Samuel Comly, who started with the company in 1863. In his prime, Comly's master salesmanship was predominant in the bolt and nut industry of America. He died in 1923 after 50 years of loyal service. Mr. Ward designed and built various machines and for a time manufactured wood screws, calling them the Union Screw Company. Another company, however, obtained a patent on a gimlet-pointed screw and took the win. Over the following decades, the company grew into a major American fastener manufacturer. It became known as RB&W and expanded its capabilities, eventually becoming a leader in cold-forming technology. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, RB&W Corporation had become one of the largest producers of cold-formed parts in the United States, serving the transportation industry since its embryonic stage. Its cold-formed and manufactured fastener products are found on millions of cars and trucks in hundreds of critical applications. The company continued to grow as an important source for customers in the automotive and automotive aftermarket industries. RB&W is now a subsidiary of Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation, a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: PKOH) incorporated in 1967, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and led by CEO Matthew Crawford. Park-Ohio reported approximately $1.8 billion in 2019 revenues and employs about 6,000 people worldwide. RB&W has business operations in eight countries across the world.

• 1967

  Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation, the eventual parent company, is incorporated.

• 1923

  Samuel Comly dies after 50 years of service.

• 1913

  Mary B. Alcott dies after 53 years of service.

• 1863

  Samuel Comly joins the company and pioneers the idea of sending salesmen across the country.

• 1860

  Mary B. Alcott joins the firm, taking charge of inspection and the nutting and packing of bolts.

• 1844

  William Evans Ward arrives in New York and befriends Ellwood Burdsall, laying the foundation for the company.

Leader in cold-forming technology and one of the largest producers of cold-formed parts in the U.S., serving the automotive and transportation industries with critical fasteners.

• SPAC® lightweight material solutions

  Focus on aluminum, high-strength steels, and magnesium with global design support.

• Engineered cold-formed products

  Cold forming foundation, high-strength grain flow, high-tolerance machining for critical applications.

1. 1RB&W Historyrbwmfg.com
2. 2RB&W Companyrbwmfg.com
3. 3RB&W Productsrbwmfg.com
4. 4RB&W Company Informationrbwmfg.com
5. 5Wikidata: Russell, Burdsall & Ward Bolt and Nut Companywikidata.org