About JOHN BOOS
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| How It All Started | |
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John Boos & Co. is the oldest industry in Effingham, Illinois. It has been in business continuously since 1887. Conrad Boos Sr. founded the business in 1887 and named it for his son, John. For many years he worked out of the blacksmith shop, which was located at what is now 406 West Jefferson Street in Effingham, Illinois. The wood for his blocks was cut in wooded areas surrounding Effingham and was mostly sycamore lumber. The lumber was processed in his sawmill and sent to his shop for finishing. The plant operated from a blacksmith shop until 1892 and then it moved across town, and began producing the blocks as we know them now. |
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Last Half Of The 20th Century | |
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In 1955, the company expanded by adding a dry kiln, increasing its office space and adding more manufacturing space. The shipping docks were enlarged, warehousing space added and new products added. In addition to the standard old-style butcher blocks, butcher block tops, which are laminated strips of northern hard rock maple or Appalachian red oak, were in great demand, not only in the foodservice industry, but also in the home. The company continued to expand during the late 1960s and early ‘70s with the growth of its metal fabricated table market. Metal tables had replaced the butcher block as a necessary product in the majority of foodservice/supermarket establishments. |
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Tables with poly or synthetic tops, stainless steel tops and maple tops were being manufactured. And even though the government was tough on wood products through the 1970s and ‘80s, the company continued to grow with its new line of BDL store fixtures, park benches and other butcher block furniture items. | |
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