Category: Business and Industry

TAYLOR CHAIR CO., headquartered in BEDFORD, is the oldest business still in existence in Northeast Ohio and is believed to be the oldest company in the United States still owned by the same family. Taylor Chair originated in 1816 when Benjamin Franklin Fitch began making split-bottom, slat-backed chairs by hand at his cabin located at what is now the corner of Libby and Warrensville Ctr.

TAYLOR, WILLIAM SON & CO. See WILLIAM TAYLOR SON & CO.

TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH. Early Cleveland's household, agricultural, and industrial processes and devices were simply transfers or adaptations from elsewhere.

TELEGRAPHY AND TELEPHONES. Cleveland's connection to the rest of the U.S. by telegraph line was a communications breakthrough essential to the city's commercial and industrial development. During critical years in the formation of the U.S. telegraph industry, pivotal officials resided in Cleveland.

The TELLING-BELLE VERNON CO., the first dairy company in Cleveland to deliver milk in glass bottles, was created on 29 Jan. 1915 by the merger of the Telling Bros. Co. and the Belle Vernon Farms Dairy Co. Telling Bros. began as a 1-man milk route operated by Wm. E. Telling from 1891-93. In partnership with his brother, John C., he organized the Telling Bros. Ice Cream Co. in Dec. 1895 with a shop at 953 Willson Ave. (E.

TERMINAL TOWER. See CLEVELAND UNION TERMINAL and TOWER CITY CENTER.

The THEODOR KUNDTZ CO. was a diversified manufacturing business specializing in wood products. Founded by Hungarian immigrant THEODOR KUNDTZ, the company operated as a sole proprietorship from 1878 until it was incorporated in 1915. The White Sewing Machine Co.

The TOWER CITY CENTER is a mixed-use development consisting of adaptive reuse and new construction. It is one of the cornerstones of downtown Cleveland's rebirth in the 1990s. The complex includes what was once known as the CLEVELAND UNION TERMINAL and the associated buildings at PUBLIC SQUARE.

The TOWMOTOR CORPORATION was founded in 1919 by LESTER M. SEARS when he unveiled the prototype of the gasoline-powered industrial tractor that revolutionized materials handling. After some initial sales, F.W. Sears, Lester's father, capitalized the enterprise and, until his death in 1934, ran it with his son from Bliss Avenue in EUCLID.

The TRANSOHIO FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK was originally formed as the Transohio Savings Assn. 1 May 1980 by merging the Union, United, and Akron savings associations. The oldest of the 3 constituent parts was Akron Savings, founded in 1888. Of the 2 Cleveland companies involved, Union Savings was incorporated as the Union Building & Loan Co. 22 June 1891 and changed its name to Union Savings in 1896.

TREMCO, INC., a manufacturer of sealants, protective coatings, and weatherproofing compounds, was established in 1928 by WM. C. TREUHAFT with capital of $100,000. In 1942 the company moved from its first location at 393 E. 131st St. to 8701 Kinsman Rd. and by 1958 the firm had doubled its number of products to 250.

TRI-STATE MOTION PICTURE COMPANY was an important Cleveland-based motion picture studio in the 1930s. Tri-State specialized in making SPONSORED FILMS. Theatrical films are movies made for showing in theaters to paying customers.

The TRUE TEMPER CORP., a major manufacturer of hand tools, began as the American Fork & Hoe when 17 tool-making firms merged in 1902. Although incorporated in New Jersey, the company had its general offices in the Keith Bldg. at 1623 Euclid, and in 1910 it was reincorporated in Ohio.

TRW, INC., headquartered in Cleveland, was a major international corporation recognized for its leadership in the AUTOMOTIVE, AEROSPACE, and electronics (see ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS) industries. The company was founded as the Cleveland Cap Screw Co.

TURK, F. JEROME (20 May 1923 - 6 Dec. 2011). Born in Cleveland and raised in EUCLID, Jerome “Jerry” Turk was a writer, radio and TV director, and producer.

The TW EASTON CORP. (formerly Thomas W. Easton's Sons, Inc.) was established by Thomas W. Easton in 1870 as an industrial moving concern. The firm's services included the rigging and hauling of heavy machinery and equipment, as well as steel erection, crane and equipment rental, and warehouse services.

TYLER, RALPH C. (15 Jul. 1921-17 Aug. 1998), a pioneer for black engineers, was a chief design engineer and chief project engineer for interstate construction projects throughout northeast Ohio. Tyler was also a gifted athlete. He was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, to Katherine (Mason) and Ralph M. Tyler, a Deputy U.S. Marshall and later a hotel manager. Tyler moved to Cleveland as a child and graduated from Central High School.

The U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (Cleveland District Office) has regional responsibility to foster and promote domestic and international business. The Cleveland District office (along with Cincinnati, one of 2 in Ohio), located at 600 Superior Ave., assists and supports area firms in developing exporting capabilities by providing business leads and export control advice.

The U.S. STEEL CORP., a large producer of steel and a major manufacturer of wire and wire products, had 9 divisions of its American Steel & Wire subsidiary in Cleveland at one time. The Cleveland-based firms that eventually became part of U.S. Steel dated back to 1857 when DAVID AND JOHN JONES founded the Jones & Co.