Worcester Firm Greases The Wheels Of Manufacturing | Pobco turned maple trees into industrial innovation
In 1929, an entrepreneur named George Johnson recognized a need among the textile manufacturers of southern New England for bearings that could be put to use without lubrication.
Textile mills had virtually no downtime. Their survival depended on an ability to have machines whirring without interruption.
That meant that bearings within the mill equipment needed to be able to withstand huge stresses and remain lubricated in hot conditions.
At the time, metal bearings just weren’t doing the job, partly because they must be lubricated externally, and a drop of oil or grease had the potential to ruin textiles, further decreasing productivity.
Dried Up
Johnson eventually found that local wood from maple trees could be kiln dried and injected with lubricant, forming an ideal bearing.
Today, the lubricant Pobco uses is a blend of wax, grease and oil, according to Tom Johnson, grandson of the company’s founder.
Pobco, which is a shortened version of Paramount Oilless Bearing Co., still makes wood bearings. They can be used underwater, and in several other specialized applications.
But the company recognized that in order to survive and grow, it couldn’t make just wood bearings forever. In the 1970s, it began manufacturing plastic components as well.
The company still focuses on conveyor components, bearings, rollers, pulleys, sprockets and other similar things.
But “plastic has a lot more applications, a lot more places it can be instituted. Plastic makes a lot more products and is used in a lot more industries. There’s a lot more potential to grow,” Johnson said.
Mixed Media
Pobco also works with metal and it’s made a priority over the last 30 years to find its way into as many industries as possible.
So, while you will find Pobco components on the assembly line just down the street at Polar Beverages, you’ll also find them “in everything from exercise equipment to farm equipment,” Johnson said.
Johnson said about 40 percent of what the company makes is custom.
The variety of work for such a wide range of industries has allowed the company to weather the recession very well.
It hasn’t laid off any of its 25 employees and, in addition to keeping those employees from getting bored, catering to a range of industries means all Pobco’s eggs aren’t in one basket.
While the company’s list of customers has widened, physically it has stayed put at 99 Hope St. in Worcester since 1929.
It has added space in relatively small increments as required. It is also employing the fourth generation of the Johnson family to be involved with the company.
After George died, his son Russ took over. His sons, including Tom, and his brothers Steve and Dave run the company now and two members of the next generation have found their way into the office, too.
Got news for our Industrial Strength? E-mail WBJ Managing Editor Matthew L. Brown at mbrown@wbjournal.com.
Watch as Tom Johnson from Pobco in Worcester discusses the company's unique wood bearing technology:
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