MonarchMachineToolCoFraserShipyard01

Serial Number 6805 The Monarch Machine Tool Company: Made in Sidney Ohio USA in January of 1940 by Monarch Machine Tool Company - Photographed March 13, 2008.

Catalog size and Model: 24" - M - Actual Swing: 24.5" - Distance between Centers: 336" - Will spin up to 500 RPM

Once called Star Shipyards (Mercer's) The fifth and present owner, General Manager Elias Haddad bought the Shipyard about 16 years ago and changed the name to Fraser Shipyard.

This ship building location has a colorful history, beginning with the Star Shipyards (Mercer's) Ltd. fonds from 1927 to 1973 with Edward Mercer's sons Arthur Mercer and Gordon Mercer after purchasing their Uncles Share of the Shipyard business. The Yard continued as a family business until 1970 when it was sold to Grant Asplin of Fort Brie, Ontario. Star Shipyard constructed wooden and steel vessels up to approximately 170 feet (52 Meters) in length.

They specialized in in fishing boats, sternwheelers, tugs and scows for the coastal trade. During the Second World War, warships and other naval craft were constructed for the British, Russian and Canadian Navies.

Although these days The Fraser Shipyards makes aluminum Fishboats and makes repairs on a variety of floating vessels from Barges to Tugs, This shipbuilder's biggest client is the BC Ferry Corporation. Fraser Shipyards has a facility at Woodward Reach where Fraser River crosses No 5 Road and bends around a cozy bay hosting BC Ferries Repair and storage facility. The facility has four vessel berths with Ro-Ro ramps, and three alongside berths; all berths are serviced.

Monarch Machine Tool History: Began: 1909 in Sidney, Ohio
First products: belt-driven metalcutting lathes

1930s: Designed the first contour cutting machine in the world

1940s: First American machine tool company to run two shifts during World War II.

1950s: First American-built numerically-controlled lathes were introduced by Monarch at 1955 Chicago Machine Tool Exposition. (This machine was the prototype of NC machines that have become the standard in the metalcutting industry.)

1960s: Edlund Machine Company acquired by Monarch in 1963, in Cortland, NY. From Edlund's drill press evolved Monarch's vertical machining centers (VMCs) and production machining centers (PMCs) that represent signature product lines of the Cortland division.

In 1967, construction of a new plant was begun in Cortland. The innovative facility was judged by Modern Manufacturing to be one of nation's 10 best plants for overall excellence of its production facilities.
Monarch expands with acquisition of Stamco, a custom metal coil processing equipment manufacturer in New Bremen, Ohio.

1980s: Monarch's annual sales reach $140 million.

"B" line of machining centers introduced.

1990s: PMC Production Machining Centers introduced, gain fast market acceptance.

Agreement with Spinner GmbH, Germany, to sell and service Monarch/Spinner Ultra-Precision Turning Centers™ in U.S. and eastern Canada.

1999 Alliance with Unisign, BV, prominent Dutch tool manufacturer, to manufacture and sell to U.S. customers their full lines of high-performance Zonal Traveling Column and UMB Gantry-Type Vertical Machining Centers.

2000 Monarch vertical machining center division acquired by management and Cygnus Management advisors. New Monarch Machine Tool, Inc. to continue offering a full line of metalworking equipment and services under the Monarch Machine Tool name. Genesis Worldwide (www.gen-world.com) retains the metal coil processing equipment line under the Stamco trademark. The lathe division previously acquired by Lucas Precision (www.lucasprecision.com) of Cleveland, OH.