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Holley Performance Products

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Holley Performance Products is an automotive performance company based out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Holley, when based in Michigan, was one of the major producers of carburetors, being supplied as standard equipment on many Detroit-built automobiles.

Latterly they manufactured carburetors for V8 street and racing applications such as the Holley "double pumper". Holley-style carburetors have powered every NASCAR Sprint Cup team and every NHRA Pro–Stock champion for four decades, these series clinging to the carburetor long after the car manufacturers had switched to fuel-injection. Holley's product range has expanded to include fuel injection, performance fuel pumps, intake manifolds, cylinder heads & engine dress–up products for street performance, race and marine applications. Among the company's owned divisions are brand names Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS), Weiand, FlowTech and Hooker Headers.

History

Holley began in Bradford, Pennsylvania in 1896 when brothers George (1878-1963) and Earl Holley started a company to produce a small one-cylinder three-wheeled vehicle they dubbed the "Runabout", with a top speed of 30 mph. At the eve of the era of motorcars, the brothers decided to start the Holley Motor Company, and produced one four-wheeled model: "The Holley bothers built their first marketable automobile in 1902. They called it the Holley Motorette and it sold for $550. More than 600 were produced." [1]

"Their first original carburetor, called the iron pot, appeared on the curved-dash Oldsmobile in 1904." [2] In April 1905 Holley Brothers Company was established with an address at 661-75 Beaubien St., Detroit, Michigan. [3] The brothers then concentrated on the manufacturing of carburetors and ignition systems. [4] As a result of the Motorette Henry Ford commissioned the brothers to produce a carburetor for his Model T. "The carburetor they built for Ford was an immediate success and the brothers founded Holley Carburetor Co., which became one of Ford's biggest suppliers." [5]

In 1913 George Holley made a tour of Germany to study manufacturing methods, accompanied by Henry M. Leland, when it was said that a Holley carburetor: "was on more than one-half of the automobiles sent out from American factories this year." [6]

In 1929 the Los Angeles Times reported that George M. Holley of Pasadena and Detroit and a director of the Aviation Corporation of Delaware, has been elected a director of the Bach Aircraft Corporation. Holley, while serving as president of the Holley Carburetor Company, was also a director of National Air Transport, Kinner Airplane and Motor, Stinson Aircraft of Detroit, Air Investors Inc., Towie Aircraft Company of Detroit, and one of the original stockholders of Western Air Express Inc. [7] In 1931 Holley became a director of the Warner Aircraft Corporation. [8]

In 1952 Holley closed a plant at Portland, Michigan, which moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky. [9] That year Holley produced the Visi-flo carburetor, with a glass inspection window to make a visual check of the fuel level, sediment, flooding and float action. The glass fuel bowl was manufactured by the Lancaster Lens company of Lancaster, Ohio. [10] In 1955 the Wall Street Journal reported: "Bowling Green Manufacturing Co., a subsidiary of Holley Carburetor Co., each year sends its employes dummy "checks" made out for the amount each employe has received indirectly through fringe benefits." [11]

In 1968 the Plain Dealer reported: "Colt Industries Inc. has acquired Holley Carburetor Co., of Warren, Michigan, following approval by directors of both companies. Holley Carburetor which makes auto ignition systems and aviation fuel controls, employs about 3,000 at four facilities in three states." [12] At this time the corporate, engineering and sales headquarters were in Warren, with plants in Bowling Green, Kentucky; Paris, Tennessee and Clare, Michigan. [13] Holley was said to have a turnover of $40 million in 1967. At the time of the sale the company was primarily owned by members of the Holley family. [14]

In 1974 Holley was making carburetors for Ford and some under its own name at Paris, Tennessee. [15] "Significant facilities expansions were initiated in 1979 at Water Valley, Mississippi to meet carburetor requirements for the new Ford Motor Company four-cylinder car, code named Erika, and in Bowling Green, Kentucky; Paris, Tennessee and Sallisaw, Oklahoma." [16] In 1993 Coltec Industries Inc., of New York, closed the administrative offices at Warren, Michigan, and a warehouse at Goodlettsville, Tennessee. These functions were moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky. [17]

In 1998 Coltec Industries sold Holley Performance for $100 million to a management-led team backed by Kohlberg & Co., L.L.C. [18]

In 2000 Holley leased a facility in Aberdeen, Mississippi, with a plan to centralise five existing plants in the U.S.A., Mexico and Canada. [19]

Emerged from bankruptcy

As of February 12, 2008, Holley filed for Bankruptcy. [20] The 2008 Bankruptcy led Holley to transfer its equity to holders of $95 million in second-lien debt. During 2009 Holley closed a plant at Tijuana, Mexico, that made Hooker Headers, and transferred the work to Aberdeen, Mississippi. [21] As of September 28, 2009, Holley filed for Bankruptcy Chapter 11 protection. [22]

Effective June 22, 2010, Holley emerged from bankruptcy protection. [23]

References

  1. ^ New York Times, June 28, 1963, Page 24.
  2. ^ Mike Urich, Bill Fisher, Holley carburetors, manifolds & fuel injection: how to select, install, tune, repair, and modify Holley fuel system components for street and racing use, Page 6, Penguin, 1994.
  3. ^ International Motor Cyclopaedia, Year Book-March 1908 to March 1909, Page 241, Publisher: E.E. Schwarzkopf, New York.
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ Plain Dealer, December 7, 1958, Page 25.
  6. ^ Oregonian, July 13, 1913, Section 4, Page 4.
  7. ^ Los Angeles Times, March 21, 1929, Page 14.
  8. ^ Wall Street Journal, March 20, 1931, Page 7.
  9. ^ Plain Dealer, March 12, 1953, Page 13.
  10. ^ Chicago Daily Tribune, September 7, 1952, Page A6.
  11. ^ "Fringe Binge: Unions Set to Push For a Big Expansion of Non-Wage Benefits," Wall Street Journal, February 10, 1955, Page 4.
  12. ^ Plain Dealer, February 11, 1968, Page 50.
  13. ^ Colt Industries Annual Report, 1967, Page 3.
  14. ^ Wall Street Journal, February 7, 1968, Page 21.
  15. ^ Mobile Register, June 28, 1974, Page 7.
  16. ^ Colt Industries Annual Report, 1979, Page 12.
  17. ^ Wall Street Journal, September 10, 1993, Page B4.
  18. ^ New York Times, April 15, 1998, Page D4.
  19. ^ Michael Paulk, Memphis Business Journal, Memphis, May 05, 2000, Vol.22, Iss.1, Page 1.
  20. ^ bloomberg.com: "Holley, Specialty Car-Parts Maker, Files Bankruptcy"
  21. ^ Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Mississippi, January 22, 2009.
  22. ^ "UPDATE 1-Auto-parts maker Holley files for bankruptcy"
  23. ^ Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Mississippi, June 29, 2010.

See also

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