Our company was evolved from the consolidation of two companies: American Steel Wool Manufacturing Company, founded in 1896, was the first steel wool company in the United States and was operated by founding family until being acquired in 1977 by ACT 2 Companies of Worcester and Mass, and James H. Rhodes Company, founded in 1898 and acquired from Beatrice Foods in 1979. A brief description of the present business is provided below: American Steel Wool Manufacturing Company was the first steel wool company in the United States. American Steel Wool was established in 1896 in Long Island City, N.Y. and subsequently was consolidated in Chicago in 1980. Without interruption for almost a century, our company has continued to produce and pack steel wool pads and other steel wool products. Rhodes Company was founded in 1898 as a chemical manufacturer. Rhodes first began producing steel wool prod
