Akron High-Potential Porcelain Company

From Insulator Wiki (Wikilator)

Type: USP
Markings: H. P. CO.
Dates of operation: 1906-1910
Location: Barberton, OH

An unknown company may have started as early as 1900 but surely by 1903 as they were actively making third rail insulators in 1905 when that part of the business was purchased by Akron Smoking Pipe Company (Akron Porcelain and Plastics Co. history book, Molding A Legacy, published in 1989 states the date was March 1, 1909). The company president, George H. Kile, asked for Fred Locke's help, but he was busy fighting a law suit of patents with the Locke company, so he sent his son, Morton, who was only 20 years of age. Initial production was dry process porcelain and it was the company's main focus. Morton's charge was to help them make wet process porcelain. After about one year (sometime after Thanksgiving 1906, Mr. Kile asked Morton to leave saying he was dissatisfied with his work, and got Morton to sign a paper canceling his five-year contract. The official start of Akron-HP was 1906, but that apparently was part of the legal relationship with Ohio Brass to take their entire production. OB took over the company in 1910 and changed the name to Ohio Insulator Company.