Norton Abrasives

Norton Abrasives of Worcester, Massachusetts, USA is the world's largest manufacturer and supplier of abrasives for commercial applications, household, and automotive refinishing usage. In 1990 it was purchased by Saint-Gobain of France. Norton specializes in the manufacture of abrasive products for applications in the autobody, construction, welding/industry, and marine/composite markets as well as for contractors and DIY consumers.

Origins and History

Norton Company was founded in 1885 by a group of ceramists and entrepreneurs from Worcester, Massachusetts. The group set out to manufacture the first mass-produced, precision-made grinding wheel to fulfill the burgeoning U.S. manufacturing industry's growing need for abrasives.

In 1886, employing the help of student suveyors from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the partners built a new factory on the outskirts of Worcester. The factory was not only important to the company for its innovation but also for its proximity to two major railways for shipping. During the late the 1890s, corporate decision-making proved conservative until it was assured the company would succeed. Until that time, dividends were frequently forgone and many of the owners declined to draw a salary.

W. W. Norton & Company

W. W. Norton & Company is an American publishing company based in New York City. It has been owned wholly by its employees since the early 1960s. The company is known for its "Norton Anthologies" (particularly the Norton Anthology of English Literature) and its texts in the "Norton Critical Editions" series, the latter of which are frequently assigned in university literature courses.

History

The roots of the company date back to 1923, when William Warder Norton founded the firm with his wife Mary Norton, and became its first president. Storer D. Lunt took over in 1945 after Norton's death, and was succeeded by George Brockway (1957–1976), Donald S. Lamm (1976–1994), and now W. Drake McFeely (1994–present).

Publishing

W. W. Norton & Company is an employee-owned publisher in the United States, which publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, college textbooks, cookbooks, art books, and professional books.

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