In 1898 the Viellard & Osswald Co., Brooklyn, was incorporated by Celestin F. Viellard, Herman Osswald, and Thomas B. Inness. By 1904 they were doing business as V & O Press Co.. That business was re-incorporated in 1923, and then in 1937 changed its name to Hudson Press Co., which only a year later was succeeded by another incarnation of V & O Press Co., and relocated to Hudson, NY. In 1942 the business was acquired by a partnership of Marshall Field and Charles G. Cushing, which absorbed the business and dissolved the original corporation but continued to do business as V & O Press Co. In 1944 a new business under that name was incorporated and took possession of the press business from the Field/Cushing partnership. In 1947 V & O became part of Rockwell Manufacturing Co. but continued to do business as V & O Press Co. In 1950 Rockwell sold its V & O Division to the Hartford-Empire Co.. At some point Hartford-Empire changed its name to Emhart Manufacturing Co.; V & O was now the V & O Division, Emhart Manufacturing Co., and, sometimes, the Hudson Division of Emhart Mfg. Co. In 1963 the entire Emhart business was acquired by Thomas Rudel and V & O Press was incorporated at the same time. At this point the trail runs cold but the V & O name does not seem to survive much beyond 1963.

Information Sources

• 1898-04-21 American Machinist.

  The Viellard & Osswald Company, of Brooklyn, N. Y., has been incorporated to manufacture presses, dies and machinery for making sheet metal goods. The capital is $50,000, and the directors are Celestin F. Viellard, of Woodhaven; Herman Osswald, of 706 Jamaica avenue, Brooklyn, and Thomas B. Inness, of New York city.

• The Metal Worker, Vol. 57, No. 13, Sep. 27, 1902, Pg. 62
• 1960 Metalworking Machinery lists various manufacturers of presses, including "Emhart Manufacturing Co., V & O Press Div."
• 1979 North Eastern Reporter, vol. 384 p. 142.

  The press in question was manufactured in 1937 by a V & O Press Company, Inc. (1937 V & O). The 1937 V & O was incorporated in the State of New York in 1923. That company changed its name to Hudson Press Co. (Hudson) in 1937. In 1938, Hudson transferred title to a successor V & O Press Co. (1938 V & 0). In 1942, the 1938 V & O transferred title to Marshall Field and Charles G. Cushing, a partnership, and the 1938 V & O was dissolved. The partnership did business as V & O Press Company. In April 1944, another V & O Press Company was incorporated in the State of New York (1944 V & O). Later that year the Field/Cushing partnership transferred title to the 1944 V & O. In 1947, the 1944 V & O conveyed title to Rockwell Manufacturing Company (Rockwell), which operated the business as a division of Rockwell under the name V & O Press Company. In 1950 Rockwell transferred title of its V & O Division to the Hartford-Empire Company (Hartford), and Hartford later changed its name to Emhart Manufacturing Company (Emhart). Both Hartford and Emhart operated the division under the names Hudson Division and V & O Division. In 1963, Thomas Rudel contracted with Emhart for a cash purchase of the Hudson and V & O Divisions. The defendant V & O Press (New V & O) was incorporated on the same day and Thomas Rudel became chairman of the board. Rudel assigned his interest in the contract to purchase the V & O Division of Emhart to the defendant, New V & O. Rudel purchased only a portion of Emhart's assets, and Emhart continued as an active business entity subsequent to the sale. The purchase by Rudel included assumption of only some of Emhart's obligations. The New V & O acquired its assets from Rudel in exchange for all of the New V & O's stock. All of these business entities owned and used the same real estate, manufacturing plant and offices on Union Turnpike, Greenport, New York, the plant and offices being expanded on various occasions over the years. Each company manufactured power presses and parts. The record contains no evidence of the identities of the individuals who owned these successive business entities, other than Thomas Rudel, Marshall Field and Charles Cushing. Twenty shop and office employees of the 1937 V & O continued to work for each of the intervening business entities and have been employed by the defendant. The record contains no evidence of the total number of persons employed by either the 1937 V & O or the New V & O. The 20 employees include an accountant who today is comptroller of the New V & 0; the sales manager of the 1937 V & O who worked as sales manager for the New V & O until his retirement...