Submitted by Richard K. Fleischer
Warren – Est. 1916 by John Heltzel – Located on Thomas Rd. next to Berk Enterprises.
Made steel forms for highway paving machines, concrete batching plants. John Heltzel came from Streator, Ill. in 1914, with a partner. They had been in business making steel forms for sidewalks and curbs. In 1916 Heltzel bought the plant of the former Sharon Iron & Metal Co.
The new company had about 20 employees and made steel sidewalk, curb, and gutter forms, steel highway forms, and was called The Heltzel Steel Form and Iron Co. The company, also made steel boilers, storage bins, and other steel fabrications. In 1927 and 1948, the plant was expanded. In 1958 one of this companies paving machines set a world’s record for the amount of pavement laid in a 12 hour period.
Nov. 1992 Heltzel Steel stops production and is shut down. The plant had 40 employees at the time. (Tribune 4/20/64 + 11/18/92)
The buildings are now empty.
