As of this printing in 2007, the B & B plant is still in business, although there is only one plant left. During the 1960's cheap imports, high steel prices and unions had beat the company to a pulp. There were plants in Seattle, St Louis, New York and Texas. As an attempt to get away from the unions a plant was opened in Sedalia (current location). That is the only plant left and the only one that has stayed non union, the company that bought Amstead has gone bankrupt.That is why B&B is employee owned. B & B still makes rope for the Navy, they manufacture the "catch cables" for the aircraft carriers. These cables "Catch" the planes as they land on the deck. B & B also still supplies the cable for the San Fransisco cable cars. In fact there is a street in San Fran named Broderick it is at the top of Lombard Street. I was told we had a factory there. If you ever go to the cable car museum there is a spool of B&B there.

During the 2nd World War B & B was awarded the Navy "E" for excellence several times before Monsanto or Malenkrot, it was quite a big deal at the time. They won the awards for providing Wire Rope of the highest quality on or before the appointed dead line. I have the metals and the flag that was given to the company that they flew in front of the factory. I also have a recording of the award ceremony it is on very fragile wax disks.

Another story about the company that you may or may not know is that the factory on Union blvd. in north STL was sold to General Motors. They wanted it because it was so large and had its own power plant (Steam driven Generator). Later a substation was installed and the steam engine was sold to the city of STL. It was so well built that it is still in operation today powering the #1 water pump station providing water to the city of STL. It is a Coreless Steam Engine with a flywheel over 12 feet. I have seen it a few times but not lately. General Motors built the Corvette at the old plant from 1963 until they finally moved the plant to Kentucky in thel ate 70's again getting away from the unions. The building is still there and the front entrance is still the same. The Clark's now own it and have converted it into several smaller units for smaller factories to operate.