Hill Machinery Company
was founded in 1911 by James Corbett. The company name was derived from its location at 415 Lafayette Avenue in the "Hill District" of Grand Rapids. Mr. Corbett, an excellent machinist, built the business through his ability to make spare parts required by the newly forming "automotive industry". Just prior to and during World War I, there were no specialty shops. Raw materials were machined, heat treated and ground in his small, crowded shop of 3300 square feet.
In 1920 the company was sold to Alfred Brechting who, through an association with research and design engineer John Warren, did a great deal of work for the rapidly growing automotive industry. After Mr. Brechting's death in 1949, the company was purchased by Don Vanden Bos Sr., a long-time employee, friend and admirer of Mr. Brechting.
With the growth of the aluminum permanent mold business being added to an already increasing volume of production work, the company was moved in 1956 to larger facilities at 632 Crofton St. Two years later the company took on the production of small stamping dies, machine repair and production machining.
In 1962 the company moved into a new building at 704 Crofton St. which was expanded to 17,600 sq. ft in 1984. The company began building special purpose machines which today continue to be its largest source of income.
In 1986, the company once again changed ownership when Don Vanden Bos, Jr. purchased the operation from his father. Progress had been particularly pronounced in those years with the increased sales of Hot Air Cold Staking equipment to the automotive industry.
In 1991, the company moved to its present location at 4585 Danvers Drive, in Kentwood, Michigan. Since then, many improvements have taken place including addition of an inside sales department, expanded in-house design and CAD-CAM capabilities, material handling and overall product quality and reliability. Additionally, sheet metal fabrication, painting and electronic controls design and build capabilities have been much expanded and improved.
Products have branched out to include automotive interior trim assembly, Ultra Sonic and Vibration welding sales and service, dies and presses to punch and trim plastic panels, as both stand alone and as complete automated systems.
2008 the company currently has 55 Employees, many of them with over 12 years of service to the company. We have expanded all departments of operation's to service the industry, including mechanical & electrical design, CNC machining, EDM wire burn, fabrication, and added a test lab. Hill Machinery's vast array of capabilities and nearly a century of experience, allows us to serve multiple markets in different industries.
Hill Machinery Co.
