Great poem Jo; glad to hear you are doing well!
Here is the promised UK, US connection to the Roberston Screw: Peter frequently told the story- now a legend – about the accident in downtown Montréal. He was demonstrating a spring-loaded screwdriver when the blade slipped from the screw-slot and badly cut his hand. The incident inspired him, so he decided to invent an improved and safer screw – The Robertson® Drive.
P.L Robertson always looked for a better way of doing things and enjoyed working on new innovations. Peter was awarded his first ‘original’ screw patent for the Robertson® drive when he was 30 years old and over the years P.L was successfully named an inventor, businessman and author.
To capture the global market PL Robertson was a major shareholder in Recess Screws Limited established at Gillingham, Kent England in 1913. P.L went overseas in 1912 to set up operations and showcase the new screw to the British Industrialists. Once operations were set up, P.L returned to Canada.
Soon after Recess Screws became increasingly involved in war production, and by 1917 it became a controlled establishment under the munitions war act. To replace male employees who were called to fight in the war, female labor had been hired whenever possible. Recess Screws employed about 400 employees at the British plant by 1919.
The plant produced firing pins for hand grenades and trench mortars, fuse needles and detonating shells, guide pins used in shell fuses and gas checks screws for grenades. Throughout the war they produced almost 55 million units. Eventually the English plant was taken over by the government and P.L resigned as director of Recess Screws Ltd.
After his return to Canada he decided to enter the Untied States market. He approached Curtis Screws Company of Buffalo. After first round negotiations, P.L was frustrated and decided to pass on the opportunity as they could not reach an agreement.
His third major attempt involved the Ford Motor Company. From early years of the Milton, Ontario plant Ford Windsor accounted for a substantial part of Robertson’s production. By using socket head screws Ford made a considerable savings of $2.60 per car.
This savings captured the attention of the Detroit bosses and soon after P.L was in Detroit talking about expanding socket head screw production to supply all U.S. made Ford cars. Henry Ford refused to commit to a new product line without having a say in how and where the screws would be made. P.L was not happy with this idea and headed home. This meant P.L was letting go of vast potential in the U.S. market, which also included Ford Windsor (Ontario) which accounted for one third of his output of screws.
Later, P.L succeeded in developing an international market for brass screws and following this P.L concentrated on exclusivity on selling screws in bulk (kegs) to industrial customers. Firms paid a premium price for quality screws. For Robertson, this became a standard in both Canadian and International Markets. His next steps focused on business change to selling to more specific markets, electrical, furniture manufactures and automotive suppliers, etc.
In time, P.L introduced a new screwdriver to the market, something that only he could call his own. He created a “Handikit†exclusively and donated hundreds of kits to high school and woodworking classes, plant visitors or anyone simply interested in the product.
The market effort of the 1930’s increased sales and by late 1930’s P.L was widely recognized as a major player in the screw business. With almost 200 employees for a small town of 1900 people P.L Robertson became a Milton legend.
During the mid 1930’s, times were tough during the second world war, as P.L Robertson felt the weight of the many hard years, until PL caught a break, the armed services needed tremendous quantities of brass screws and Robertson was there to supply them. In addition, a traveling salesman for Robertson landed a contract where carloads of cadmium plated Robertson combination square/slot drive screws were needed for the plywood mosquito bomber aircraft. This was the largest order ever received by the company.
Around the end of the war PL received a phone call from a change to his financial advisor – PL was officially a millionaire.
Peter Lymburner Robertson died September 28, 1951. Today, Robertson Inc., is a global supplier of standard and specialty fasteners with locations throughout the world. Through our modern manufacturing technology, ongoing product development programs, highly skilled and dedicated people and enduring commitment to excellence, Robertson Inc. continues to build on our heritage of quality and innovation.
Note: this was taken from a not very user friendly page. More of this story can be found
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._L._Robertson" target="_blank" target="_blank (US connection) or
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_s ... #Robertson" target="_blank" target="_blank (scroll down to Robertson, more on UK connection)