Manz Corporation

The Manz Corporation was a Chicago color printer incorporated in 1866 as the J. Manz Engraving Company.^[1]

History

It was incorporated in 1866 as the J. Manz Engraving Company by Jacob Manz^[1][2], who was the company president^[3], and was built in 1867 in Chicago to act as a wood engraving business.^[4] The company moved to premises at 4001-43 Ravenswood av. in Chicago in 1908, just after it merged with The Hollister Press.^[5] It had purchased the property from Mrs. Harriet L. Sulzer and others for USD16,000.^[6] By 1922 it was known as the Manz Engraving Co. and employed 500–600 people. The company president was now Alfred Bersbach, who had joined the company in 1880.^[5] On January 1st, 1925, the company changed its name to the Manz Corporation.^[7]

In 1947 the corporation purchased and moved to a one story factory from which to run the business.^[8] In the same year, the corporation and its president at the time, Virgil Lynch, were charged with "performing paper cutting operations" at late hours of night that disturbed the peace of the entire neighborhood.^[9] This, however, would not seem to change over the years, as, in 1962, the corporation was ranked as being "noisier than 97 per cent of all industry in Chicago" by the city zoning board.^[10]

The corporation was purchased in April of 1961 by Process Lithographers.^[11][12] Due to this, the name of the corporation was changed to Process Manz Press Inc.^[13] On November 21st, 1962, the buildings and equipment of Process Manz Press Inc. were seized by New York financial institution A.J. Armstrong Inc., and on November 23rd, 1962, Process Manz Press Inc. was declared involuntarily bankrupt.^[14]

Employees

• Virgil Regis Lynch, President.^[15]
• Frank John Bersbach, Sr. (1888-1929) was the vice president and general manager.^[16]
• Oscar Julius Bersbach (?-1927), secretary and assistant treasurer.^[17]
• Joseph Christian Leyendecker, illustrator
• Sigurd Vogt, illustrator.^[18]
• Eugene P. Pattberg, Eastern representative.^[19]
• J. Lewis Coath, manager of the picture and calender department.^[20]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Fabian Bachrach (September 5, 1950). "Pepsodent Ex-President Joins Manz Corporation". New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10914FA3C5C127A93C7A91782D85F448585F9. Retrieved 2010-08-02. "Henry F. Woulfe, formerly president of the Pepsodent Division of Lever Brothers, has joined the Corporation, eighty four-year-old Chicago color printers and ..." 
2. ^ "CHICAGO HOME FOR 'BIG 3' OF PRINTINGTRADE" - Chicago Daily Tribune
3. ^ "Engraver Jacob Manz Dies". The Engraver and electrotyper (W. Hughes) 19–20: 140. 1917. 
4. ^ "U. S. AND FRANCE CALLED NEAR NEW TRADE COMPACT" - Chicago Tribune
5. ^ ^{a b} Press Club of Chicago (1922). "The Manz Engraving Co.". Official reference book. pp. 291. 
6. ^ "Ravenswood gets an engraving company". The economist (Economist Pub. Co.) 36: pp. 58. 1906. 
7. ^ United States Court of Claims, District of Columbia (1932). "Manz Corporation vs. United States". The Federal reporter. 54. West Pub. Co.. pp. 178. 
8. ^ "ONE STORY FACTORY BUILDING PURCHASED BY PRINTING COMPANY" - Chicago Daily Tribune
9. ^ "CONTINUE CASE AGAINST PAPER CUTTING PLANT" - Chicago Daily Tribune
10. ^ "Printing Firm Ranked High As Noisy Company" - Chicago Daily Tribune
11. ^ "MACFADDEN SETS A 3-WAY MERGER; Maps Deal With Bartell and Process Lithographers COMPANIES PLAN SALES, MERGERS" - New York Times
12. ^ "Process Lithographers" - New York Times
13. ^ "IN RE PROCESS-MANZ PRESS, INC., (1964)" - Lois Law
14. ^ In re Process-Manz Press, Inc., 236 F. Supp. 333 (ND Ill. 1964), rev'd on other grounds, 369 F.2d 513 (7th Cir. 1966), cert. denied, 386 US (1967)
15. ^ "Mrs. Irene Lynch Dies; Printing Executive's Wife" - Chicago Daily Tribune
16. ^ "Frank John Bersbach". Chicago Tribune. January 27, 1929. "The funeral of Frank John Bersbach, 40 year old vice president and general manager of the Manz Corporation ... Mr. Bersbach is survived by his widow Johanna Brentano Bersbsch and three ..." 
17. ^ "Oscar J. Bersbach, Official of Manz Corporation, Dies". Chicago Tribune. July 9, 1927. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/455973302.html?dids=455973302:455973302&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+09,+1927&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Oscar+J.+Bersbach,+Official+of+Manz+Corporation,+Dies&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-08-02. "Oscar J. Bersbach Official of Manz Corporation Dies. Oscar Julius Bersbach secretary and assistant treasurer of the Manz corporation with which he had been ..." 
18. ^ "Artist Starts Second 50 Years" - Chicago Daily Tribune
19. ^ "Manz of Chicago Names Eastern Representative" - New York Times
20. ^ "ELECT COATH SCHOOLS CHIEF" - Chicago Daily Tribune

Further reading

• Swiss-American Historical Society (1932). "Jacob Manz". Prominent Americans of Swiss origin. 1. J.T. White & Co.. pp. 165–166. 

External links

• "Contracts for Binding, Printing of Illio Let" - Illinois Digital Newspaper Collection