Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company
In 1863, Ball, Aultman, and Company, a farm machinery manufacturing firm in Canton, Ohio, established the Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company in Akron, Ohio. The Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company's first president was John R. Buchtel. Under Buchtel's leadership, the Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company separated from Ball, Aultman, and Company, becoming an independent firm. The Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company grew quickly. Situated in Akron, along canals and railroads, the Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company had easy access to raw materials and could ship its products all over the world with relative ease. By 1877, the company was producing two thousand machines per year, with sales exceeding 1.5 million dollars. The firm employed four hundred workers, with a yearly payroll of 300,000 dollars.
The Panic of 1893 caused financial difficulties for the Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company. Management reduced the work force by roughly fifty percent to cut costs and to stay in operation. Ball, Aultman, and Company was forced to sell Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company, unable to survive this economic downturn. Under new ownership, the company thrived, becoming one of the world's leading manufacturers of farm equipment by 1900.
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