Clark Equipment Co. - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company. Clark Equipment Company was an American enterprise engaged in the design, manufacture, and sale of industrial and construction machinery and equipment. Its origins trace back to the George R. Rich Manufacturing Company, which was established in 1903 in Chicago, Illinois, by executives from the Illinois Steel Company. In 1904, the company relocated to Buchanan, Michigan, following an enticing offer from the local chamber of commerce regarding favorable industrial rental and power supply conditions. At that time, Eugene B. Clark, an employee of Illinois Steel, identified deficiencies in the metallurgy of Rich Manufacturing's main product, a railroad rail drill known as the Celfor Drill. He also recognized issues with the management and operational processes, which he subsequently rectified after negotiating to become an equal partner. In 1916, he consolidated Rich Manufacturing, which had been rebranded as Celfor Tool, with the Buchanan Electric Steel Company, a subsidiary of the former, thereby establishing Clark Equipment Company, named in his honor.