In that first year of 1911, F.C. Phillips operated four 515 Acme screw machines by himself. Before completing his 3-year lease he was ready for bigger things. From Charles Welch, a frequent visitor to his shop and close friend, Mr. Phillips acquired four lots at our present site. There in 1913 he built a 75 x 30 foot factory, the section near the old brick office.

The same boy who started as a screw slotter in the Screw machine department at the Stevens Arms and Tool Company, Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, in 1899, had already come a long way. At Stevens, he had held jobs as a hand miller, as an operator of hand screw machines and automatic screw machines, in that order. He next completed six years in the tool room. From there he went to Mellor Manufacturing Company in Springfield where he managed the plant and was a partner in the firm. By this time Mr. Phillips' progressive spirit was ready to assert itself.

On December 16, 1911, F.C. Phillips signed a 5-year contract to produce machined products for George E. Belcher Company of Stoughton, Massachusetts. Through the following years, the present streamlined plant took shape, and new and better machines were added.

As early as 1914, even though 4 hand screw and milling machines and 6 automatics produced the total output, the firm's reputation for manufacturing high-grade screw machine products was well established and F.C. Phillips, Inc. was recognized by the trade as a reliable source of supply for screw machine products.

From 1922 to 1948, "F.C." served his community of Stoughton without pay as Selectman -- a period that witnessed a great growth in Stoughton's history. It was during this time that the Phillips cam lock golf spikes (1913) became famous throughout the world. In 1929 our company pioneered the automatic spark control for Ford's model A's, a tremendous improvement over the old hand-operated spark control.

The whimsical catch-phrase - "put monkey glands in your Ford" - drew hundreds to Stoughton who stayed to have new ventilators installed in their Ford windshields. Even glass cutting machines to cut the windshields proved irresistible to many dealers who went away with all three items. Our "National Approved" Dog Measuring Stand was invented and put into production at the same time.

The plant kept growing and walls were constantly knocked down to extend the floor area. Before the advent of bulldozers huge mounds of earth were moved by tip-carts to fill in the neighboring swamp-land so that construction could go on. Even in the 30's gaily painted Ford cars flaunted the general depression to carry the Phillips name into the south Atlantic states.

Today, with the exception of the woodworking shop and warehouse, all operations are carried on in the main plant - a boon to better production and better working conditions for employees. And the second and third generation of management is continuing the successful policies instituted by the founder, policies they were trained so well to carry forward. F.C. Phillips, Inc. was the world's largest producer of athletic shoe spikes, and our screw machine products are known the world over.

Few companies can boast of better opportunities for employees to share in the fortunes of their company than at F.C. Phillips, Inc. Over 90% of our supervisory personnel started here as apprentices and worked their way forward to their present positions.