Page 195 - BWM March 2013

March 2013 | Business World Magazine | 195
ty, the family had already created a successful
venture in the wholesaling of hardware, an
enterprise that was incorporated in 1920. Jo-
seph and Henry returned home after gradua-
tion in 1933 to take charge of that operation.
Kwiencinski jokes, “They were perfectly suit-
ed to run General Motors or U.S. Steele, but
since those positions were filled, they came
back to the family business.”
The business flourished for decades, but even-
tually experienced challenges from competi-
tion in the form of Sears and Ace Hardware,
whose locations were rapidly expanding
throughout the country. The Sloss brothers
determined to enhance their business model
with manufacturing, and in the 1940s, ac-
quired a small company that primarily man-
ufactured springs. Connor Spring, as it was
known, went on to thrive in the production
of wire forms and springs used in the manu-
facturing of IBM typewriters. The company
reinvested in new tools and new machinery
to diversify service offerings in a range of
metallurgical marvels, and since the name
of “Connor” had achieved respect and rec-
ognition in industry, the brother maintained
the name, but adapted the enterprise which
is known today as Connor Manufacturing
Dennis Kwiecinski, President Maxine Harmatta, CFO