The
company was founded in 1939 by Broda's father, Walter
Broda, and an uncle, Martin Broda. Walter, the younger
of the two brothers, had just earned his bachelor's
degree in chemistry from Niagara University. Martin
was a foreman in the machining division at Atcheson
Graphite Corp.
The
two mechanically-inclined brothers launched their venture
in a garage behind the home of their parents, Ludwig
and Ewa Broda, on 22nd Street. Originally, the intent
was to produce and sell wire coat hanger-making machines.
When no buyers could be found, though, they turned to
making and selling coat hangers to area dry cleaning
companies. First-year sales were between $2,000 and
$3,000, Broda estimates.
The
onset of World War II had a huge impact as it did on
businesses everywhere.
"Their
first employees came because of the war ," Broda
says. "At the time, any shop that had any machining
capabilities was more or less pressed into service by
the government for the war effort. They were inundated
with work."
The
business transformed from producing coat hangers into
a screw machine shop that made parts for the war. Major
customers included Curtiss-Wright, Houdaille Hydraulics
and Buffalo Arms. Houdaille's successor, Enidine Inc.,
is still a Broda Machine customer.
Wartime
employment totaled about 30. Most were women working
around the clock in the shop still was behind the Brodas'
22nd Street home. To accommodate the heavy work load,
however, the former one-car garage had been expanded.
After
the war, employment went down to 16 people and until
1990 it varied from 16 to 28, Today it is 11, but though
smaller, it does not mean that business has dropped
off, Broda said.
"It
shows the impact of automation and changing times. Business
is better and we are more profitable and healthier than
in 1990. It is much less labor-intensive than with the
old machines," he says. "One job which in
the late 1980s to early '90s would take 11 manual operations
now with the new computerized machines is reduced to
three operations.
"A
key reason that we survived to today is the investment
we made in very sophisticated, specialized machinery,
not just CNC (computer numerical control) general machinery.
It was very expensive machinery - each cost $200,000-plus.
But it set us apart from general machine shops and gave
us the capability to do things that our competitors
could not ... and reduced the time that it took to do
the job."
Toward
the end of the war, Broda Machine moved out of the 22nd
Street garage into its first official production facility
on Pine Avenue and Packard Road.
The
present 10,000 square-foot building was constructed
in 1967 on Packard Road.
As
a sideline, the company also produces a uniquely-designed
golf club called the Niagara Daredevil Barrel Putter.
Last year, Broda says, he sold or gave away to charity
1,200 to 1,500 putters. Included in that number were
500 to 600 that sold for $40 apiece.
Broda,
57, took over the business in 1985, the year that his
father died and four years after his uncle passed away.
The building also houses another company, Touchstone
Laser Calibration Inc., in which Broda is a partner
with Kevin Schul, who is president.
Touchstone,
which has three employees, certifies the accuracy of
machine tools and quality control instruments.
Broda
earned a bachelor's degree in English at Geneseo, but
says the machine shop has meant everything to him.
"My
desire from day one was to go to work," he says.
"I never planned for college. This is where my
heart and soul was. My father would be happy that the
business is still here and that the world has not forgotten
about it. My mother is very proud of it."
|
