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Stowe Woodward began processing rubber and polymer in 1886, and has been at the forefront of the industry since then. As early as 1910 Stowe Woodward was improving the productivity in textile and tannery operations with rubber covers that increased the service life of steel rolls. By 1945, the Newton, Massachusetts, plant was meeting the growing demands of the paper industry by engineering and supplying long-lasting rubber covers for the larger paper making machines.
During the 1950s and '60s, Stowe Woodward kept pace with new technologies and increased demand by adding new facilities in Griffin, Georgia; Neenah, Wisconsin; Sandusky, Ohio; Ruston, Louisiana; and Kelso, Washington. Most of these facilities are still in use today. New plants and international licensing arrangements also delivered Stowe Woodward's products and expertise throughout Europe.
In the 1970s and '80s Stowe Woodward engineers increased industry productivity with innovations such as Dri-Press engineered nips for more efficient dewatering and Comput-A-Cover technology for more accurate application of roll covers. Stowe Woodward added the durability and performance capabilities of polyurethane with the acquisition of Essex Polymer in 1973.
New developments in polyurethane technologies led to additional production facilities in Sherbrooke, Canada, and Middletown, Virginia. In 1980, polyurethane capacity was also included in a new North Bay, Canada, plant. A Stowe Woodward research facility, built adjacent to the Middletown plant in 1989, is the world center for the developing new roll cover compounds using advanced concepts such as nano-particle technology.
In the 1990s, Stowe Woodward introduced the PressManager press section management tool, PRAXAIR ceramics cover technology, and SMART roll embedded monitoring technology. In the new millennium, Stowe Woodward added nanotechnology to its composite roll covers for increased surface quality and durability, and continued the trend by introducing stabilizer-reinforced belts for the shoe press.
BTR Paper Technology Group, now Xerium Technologies, Inc., acquired Stowe Woodward and sister company Mount Hope in 1976. The company went on to acquire 12 other companies and become a global leader in the manufacturing of rolls, clothing and other consumable products used in the paper making industry.
Stowe Woodward, as an integral part of the global technology group Xerium Technologies, Inc., which includes Mount Hope, Huyck, Weavexx, and Wangner, is uniquely positioned as the premier solution provider for the global paper industry.
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