Buffalo-Springfield Roller Co. Factory

      The Buffalo-Springfield Roller Co. was formed as a merger of the Buffalo Pitts Co. and the Kelly-Springfield Road Roller Co. (before to 1902 known as the O.S. Kelly Co.)

      Clarence J. Foster was born in the same house as his father, on December 19, 1876. He was educated in the local public schools, in Wittenberg College and in a business college. For two years he was a clerk with the Ansted & Burk Company, millers, and then became an employee of the O. S. Kelly Company. When that business was reorganized and a new corporation formed, known as the Kelly-Springfield Road Roller Company, Mr. Foster remained with the new company, and also with its successor, the Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company, of which he is vice president. The Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company was started as a department of the O. S. Kelly Company about 1888. It developed into a big business, justifying separate organizations, and after about twelve years the Kelly interests were withdrawn and the reorganization was named Kelly-Springfield Road Roller Company. At that time the plant was moved to its present location on Kenton Street. C. M. Greiner and J. B. Cartmell were the principal owners at that time, Mr. Cartmell being president and C. J. Foster secretary. In 1912 Mr. Cartmell disposed of his holdings and since then C. M. Greiner has been president, C. J. Foster and C. F. Greiner vice presidents, and E. E. Greiner treasurer. This company manufactures a special line of road making and working machinery and road rollers, and during the World war the corporation furnished rollers for road construction work in France and also for cantonments, aviation fields, forts, arsenals and other duty at home. It is properly spoken of as one of the most important of the manufacturing enterprises of Springfield.

Brian Szafranski has a Buffalo Pitts web site with more information about this company.