After several years of steam fitting and millwork, the Company started the manufacture of the Wachs Vertical Steam Engine. This was a single cylinder, double-acting, vertical engine, which was manufactured in a range of sizes from 1 HP to 60 HP. The steam engine business grew, and in 1888, Charles Wachs joined the Company as Plant Manager. Charles Wachs was the eldest of Edward Wachs’s six sons and had apprenticed as a machinist at the Milwaukee plant of Filer & Stowell Company. Prior to his apprenticeship, he had studied engineering at Armor Tech in Chicago. By the time Charles Wachs joined, the Wachs Company owned a two-story manufacturing plant in Chicago at the southwest corner of LaSalle and Grand Avenues. The line shafts in this plant were driven by a steam engine, located in the basement.

1900-1940
In 1904, Charles Wachs became President of the Company. He provided a great skill as a machinist and engineer. In addition to being an extremely fine machinist, he clearly understood the importance of interchangeable parts, manufacturing and complete record keeping of all products built by the Company. It was this foundation of manufacturing integrity and complete records, which has enabled the Wachs Company to supply interchangeable repair parts on any product they ever built.

Around 1900, the Company branched out by taking on the manufacture of a line of coal mining machinery for a Chicago firm called Roberts & Schaffer Company. We were a major manufacturing facility for Roberts & Schaffer, designers and contractors who were building coal-mining plants for the sizing of coal at the Tipple mine. This manufacturing relationship existed for some 65 years and was discontinued when the nature of the coal mining business changed and the sized coal was no longer in demand.

In 1916, the Company built a new plant at 1525 Dayton Street, Chicago, which was specifically designed for the needs of heavy machinery manufacturing. The plant had 22,000-sq. ft. on one floor and was served by an overhead crane, which enabled the movement of heavy machine components.

In addition to manufacturing steam engines and coal mining machinery, the Company, in 1917, designed and built a line of hand screw machines, which were sold by machine tool dealers. During the period from 1900 on, Edward H. Wachs, Sr. and the active management of Edward H. Wachs, Jr. in the Stocker-Rumely-Wachs Company (one of the major machine tool distributors in the Middle West) connected the Wachs Company with the machine tool industry through investment.

During the 1920s, the Wachs Company was busy making steam engines which, were supplied to such firms as Koppers Company for use in coke oven plants, Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering Company for stoker drives and Koehring Company and Rex Chainbelt Company for driving concrete mixers. The coal mining machinery business was also prospering at this time.

In 1929, the Company was one of the major suppliers of component parts for the Western Electric Company for the manufacture of sound movie projectors. 1929 through 1932 was one of the most prosperous periods in the Company’s history as the jobbing business with Western Electric Company reached sizable proportions.

From 1932 on, The Company, along with most manufacturing businesses, experienced extremely difficult times and eked out an existence on jobbing work and repair parts.

1940-1950
The work done by Wachs during 1942 through 1945 was primarily subcontracting to Crane Company on the Navy Valve Program. We also built a number of steam engines and a line of heavy-duty punch presses for L & J Corporation of Elkhart, Indiana.

In 1942, after 13 years of experience in the gas utility business, Edward H. Wachs III joined the Company. He brought merchandising ability to the Company which it had not had previously. To seek out and build products of our own manufacture was of paramount importance as the steam engine business began dwindling and becoming unprofitable. The jobbing business was a feast or famine and also difficult to keep profitable.

In 1944, the Wachs Company purchased the valve division of National Machine Works in Chicago. This was a neighboring company, a family-owned business, which had been closely associated with Wachs for many years. The company was being liquidated and the products disbursed in a number of directions. Their plant was turned over to war work and Wachs took over the valve manufacturing and gas plant equipment line. This was equipment with which Edward H. Wachs III was familiar due to his experience in the gas utility business.

From 1945 through 1950, there was considerable activity in the gas manufacturing business, primarily in the Chicago area for Peoples Gas and Northern Illinois Gas. These companies were converting their old water gas manufacturing plants too oil gas in an effort to augment their natural gas supplies. It was during this period of time that Wachs Company acquired the patent for and started the manufacture of our line of pipe cutting machinery.

The Wachs Company introduced the first pipe cutting machine in 1949, using the National Machine Works patent. We called it the Wachs-National Pipe Saw, and it was considerably improved over the first 10 models, which had been made by National Machine Works in the previous few years. This new pipe cutting machine was introduced to the gas utility business and filled a long-felt need for a portable, power-operated machine that could make safe cuts on large-diameter pipe in the ground. This introduction was the dawn of a new era for the Company during which dealers were established around the world to help promote the sale of this new product.

1950-1960
In 1953, the Wachs Company developed an additional line of machines for cutting pipe, called the Guillotine Saw. This derived from a patent that was purchased from an individual in Buffalo, New York and was perfected by Charles Wachs into a highly usable portable machine.

During the time between 1950 and 1954, the Wachs Company was busily engaged in designing and building some highly specialized machinery for Westinghouse Electric and the U.S. Navy, in connection with the Nuclear Submarine Program. We followed this experience with many special machines designed and built for nuclear power plant work.

The President of the Company, Charles Wachs, passed away in 1954, and the reins were turned over to Edward H. Wachs III. From 1950 to 1958, the line of Wachs pipe cutting machines grew and the dealership network was strengthened to many market areas. Initially this equipment had been sold to the gas utility industry, but gradually it became widely accepted by the waterworks and oil industries and then the contractors who served these industries.

In 1955, Wachs employed Exportadora, Inc. to act as the foreign sales agents around the world. This has been a successful relationship, which has resulted in a substantial export business, using a growing list of qualified dealers.

The Wachs Company purchased the saw blade division of Illinois Tool Works in 1957. The machinery and stock were moved to Wachs Chicago plant, where the Company proceeded to manufacture a complete line of power hacksaw blades, using the trademark “Guillotine.” These blades were merchandised through Industrial Distribution channels in competition with about 12 other saw blade manufacturers in the United States. We were our own best customers on these saw blades because they supplied the needs of our Guillotine Pipe Saw customers.

Also in 1957, Wachs purchased a line of pipe cutting machines manufactured by Clow Corporation of Chicago. We moved the machinery and product line to Chicago and consolidated the product into our standard line of machines. This became Wachs Strickler Pipe Cutter.

The Wachs Company developed and introduced a line of portable power-operated valve-turning machines in 1958. This line has been expanded and is now a substantial part of our current product mix, incorporating a number of different models including truck mounted and hand held operators for both rising and non-rising stem valves.

The Wachs Bev-L-Grinder was introduced in 1959 to fill a need to accurately bevel steel pipe in the smaller diameter range.

1960-1970
In 1965, Edward Hamilton Wachs joined the Company as Sales Manager. He is the fourth-generation Edward H. Wachs in this business. His educational background and experience with Kaiser Aluminum Company prepared him for the job of Sales Manager, and he made a substantial contribution to expanding the sales representation on the standard line of Wachs products.

It was during this year that the Company discontinued the manufacture of steam engines and the supplying of repair parts for these engines. During the 82 years of manufacturing the Wachs Engine, there were a total of 10,550 Wachs Engines sold around the world. We were one of the last manufacturers of steam engines to discontinue this product line. After discontinuing the steam engine business, the Company also decided to discontinue all jobbing work for other customers and devote our complete facilities and efforts to the manufacture of the standard line of Wachs products.

In 1966, the Wachs Company sold its real estate in Chicago and moved to a new plant in Wheeling, Illinois. This was a major decision leading to the disposal of the old heavy machinery, which was used on prior product lines, and it also involved a major move of machinery, inventory and all equipment, while still maintaining service to our customers. The move was carefully planned and executed and resulted in a minimum of disruption to our business.

1970-1980
In 1970, Charles L. Wachs became associated with the Company as Sales Manager after several years of experience with Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen in a sales capacity. Edward Hamilton Wachs was at this time devoting a major portion of his time to the formation and development of Power Cutting, Inc. This company was a contracting firm owned by the principals of Wachs Company and Geoffrey A. Parson, Plant Manager for Wachs. The idea was to perform a pipe cutting service on a contractual basis to a variety of customers, and was intended to use Wachs manufactured equipment to perform a service function in the field. Power Cutting, Inc. also operated as sales agent for Wachs in certain territories. Although this is a separate function from the E.H. Wachs Company, it has been an interesting and profitable venture and allowed us to participate in this growing field for service cutting and in-situ machining in power plants, nuclear plants, chemical plants, refineries and other places in the piping trade. It has led to additional product development and an insider’s understanding of the customers’ needs.

The Truck Mounted Valve Operator was designed, prototyped and tested all in 1971. This machine was introduced to serve a growing need in the waterworks industry for a higher-powered, safe, easy-to-use valve turning machine. The Submersible Pump was developed at the same time to provide high-capacity de-watering of valves to assist in valve servicing and turning.

One year later, we completed the development of a portable turning machine for rising stem valves. This machine was introduced to offer the refining, petrochemical, chemical and pipeline industries a valve turning machine that could handle rising stem, hand-wheel activated valves.

The reins of management as President were turned over to Edward Hamilton Wachs in 1974. Charles Wachs became Executive Vice President and Sales Manager, while Edward H Wachs III continued his active interest in the business as Chairman of the Board.

In 1974, Power Cutting, Inc. started using a German portable lathe in its nuclear field services. After three years of testing and use, the Wachs Company was able to see a substantial market for the tool. We also learned what changes were necessary to make the tool more marketable in America, and in 1977, the Company introduced the EP-1 End Prep Lathe.

Development of the concrete cylinder pile cut off saws began in 1968 when we built our first hand-fed saw in cooperation with Raymond International. The line was subsequently expanded to include three, fully automatic cutoff systems. These had been developed and field-tested at Raymond’s Ju’ Aymah trestle project in Saudi Arabia over a period of three years and were offered to the general market in 1977. In 1979, extensive field-testing was completed and finally the cut off systems for square concrete piles could be introduced.

The use of hydraulic power for our pipe cutting machines and pile cutting machines has resulted in the development of a line of hydraulic power units to power these machines. It encompasses electric-, gasoline-, air- and diesel engine-powered units in a range of sizes to develop the necessary hydraulic pressure to actuate the pipe cutting and pile cutting machines.

In 1978, it became necessary to expand the Wheeling plant by 50%, to supply adequate floor space for the fabrication and assembly of the pile cutting machines. Additionally, the company had begun offering the installation of the hydraulic equipment and the Wachs equipment to customers’ trucks and this service also increased the need for space.

1980-2000
1982 was a busy year for new product introduction and saw the culmination of three projects, which had been in the research and development stages for several years. The new Heavy Duty Mill was available after 15 years of effort and three different designs, and it substantially improved portable mill machining capabilities. It was designed for heavy wall pipe cutting and beveling, specifically for the underwater pipeline repair market and nuclear power plant construction and maintenance. Its metal removal capability exceeds that of the Trav-L-Cutter by approximately three times and does so with greater accuracy and reliability. The Heavy Duty Mill was discontinued in 1991.

Also in 1982, the Model EP/2 End Prep Lathe was introduced. This tool was developed using the eight years of experience with the EP/1 to improve and re-engineer a portable lathe that had a larger machining capacity, was more versatile, easier to use, and more accurate. This year also saw the introduction of the Model WCR/1, Weld Crown Grinder, designed specifically for the nuclear industry to remove and finish the weld crowns in preparation for ultrasonic testing, a nuclear requirement for in-service inspection.

The Model SDB 103/1, Small Diameter Beveler, when introduced, was capable of end prepping .875” through 4” (22.2mm – 101.6mm) diameter pipe. This was our first entry in the high-production end beveling market. The TC-360 torch cutting machine represents our first entry into the flame cutting and beveling market.

The Centennial came in 1983, 100 years after the Company’s first day of business—June 6, 1883. 1983 saw not only the celebration of the Centennial by the company, dealers and employees, but also a renewed investment in research and development to ensure continued growth and stability for the next hundred years.

In 1987, the Wachs Company established Wachs Technical Services Inc. (WTS), which served as a technical support group for Utilities and contractors in the power industry. Customers renting equipment had the opportunity to have technical personnel from the factory train and assist with their pipe cutting and beveling applications. This grew to become a separate entity: WTS began to take on some exceptional projects. In 1990, WTS was awarded a contract to build and operate two machines for performing the girth cuts and bevels for a Steam Generator Replacement Project. The E. H. Wachs Company provided the engineering and manufacturing, while the on-site services were provided by WTS. The two machines were capable of cutting and beveling a vessel 16’9” in diameter with a wall thickness of 6.75”. WTS employed an optical alignment system that allowed the machine to be positioned so accurately that a “J” prep configuration could be used and fit up within .093” was achieved. WTS used similar technology to build and operate a machine for the decommissioning of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, 18’3” in diameter with a wall thickness of 6.7”.

And so the story goes on. Today we have a worldwide distribution network of well-trained, enthusiastic dealers; a growing line of machines designed to fill the needs that we recognize in industry; and an enthusiastic and dedicated group of employees producing high-quality products within a modern and recently expanded manufacturing facility. We consider the E.H. Wachs Company to be an organization that is built on a very firm foundation of research and engineering excellence, filling a need in our industry and generating goodwill and respect from a wide variety of customers. It is particularly gratifying to note that the pipe cutting industry throughout the world recognizes our name and our products. This recognition and respect of which we are so proud have been earned by hard work, integrity and products, all of which really deliver a substantial service to our customers.

WACHS TODAY
The headquarters of the E.H. Wachs Company is located in Lincolnshire, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, approximately 10 minutes north of O’Hare International Airport. This facility houses the manufacturing plant for all domestic and international products as well as the general administrative and sales offices for both the domestic and international operations.

In this facility, we wholly manufacture 26 product lines. Each machine manufactured in all product lines undergoes operational tests before being released to shipping. Our parts department is responsible for stocking for immediate shipment all parts used in any Wachs machinery manufactured during the past 18 years.

The general administrative office houses the corporation’s accounting, advertising, engineering, sales and management staff.

The domestic sales organization of the Wachs Company markets its products in the 50 U.S. states and Canada. Eight Territory Managers for our Industrial Product Line and six Regional Managers for the Utility Products manage specific geographical regions. Each Territory/Regional Manager has full demonstration capabilities of our products.

The international sales organization markets our products in 79 countries through 26 dealers whose efforts are supported by four Regional Managers.

Wachs Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the E. H. Wachs Company, located in Sandbach, England.

Wachs Middle East is a wholly owned subsidiary of the E. H. Wachs Company, located in Dubai, Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates.