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First Machinery Corp – Ninth Street – Gowanus, South Brooklyn

Apr 15th, 2008
by fadingad.

First Machinery Corp - Gowanus

First Machinery Corp - Gowanus

First Machinery Corp - Gowanus

First Machinery Corp - Gowanus
© Frank H. Jump

Posted in: Gowanus Creek, Machine Shop, South Brooklyn.

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7 Comments

  1. Robert Baptista says:
    April 18, 2008 at 3:48 am

    First Machinery Corporation was located at 209-289 Tenth Street, Brooklyn. The company sold food processing equipment such as dough mixers, roller mills, homogenizers, pulverizers, sifters, bucket elevators and pumps. They also sold machinery for the canning industry such as can fillers, closers, and labelers.

    In 1951 the company purchased at auction the defunct Universal Colloids plant in McAllen, TX which had produced a variety of food products. This plant was built in WW II and was idle for three years before being purchased by First Machinery.

  2. fadingad says:
    April 18, 2008 at 8:37 pm

    wow- a texas connexion!

  3. Paul says:
    April 14, 2009 at 1:53 pm

    Wow! Thanks so much for bringing back this memory for me.

    When we were kids back in the 50s and 60s we used to play in the property yard under the elevated portion of the IND F subway line between 9th and 10th streeets and between 3rd and 4th Avenues, often getting chased out by the workers. In the summer of 1963, when I was just 14 years old, I worked for the First Machinery Corporation in a variety of odd jobs. I was responsible for painting the inventory numbers on machinery in the yard. I would also work from time to time in the office located in the same place. I managed the mailing lists for the company’s sales catalogs, and did other odd clerical jobs. It was great for me because I lived just 2 blocks away.

    The head of the company was Mr. Fred Firstenberg (sp?), who was a customer of my father’s. His second in command was his son Richard. The office manager was Mr. Reuben Hunter, and the man in charge of the property yard was Marty Boorman, whose son (also named Marty) was a classmate of mine at St. Thomas Aquinas grade school, a block away.

    When I last searched the web a couple of years ago I found that a branch of the family is still in the used equipment business, operating from the west coast. If you Google “First Machinery Corporation” you’ll see some interesting links.

    1. fadingad says:
      April 17, 2009 at 12:29 am

      Thank you so much for that part of your history and the company’s. Amazing how much history is silently waiting to be uncovered. Did the Google search but didn’t find anything that caught my eye. Wanna send me what you found? I’ll add them!

    2. Mike says:
      February 24, 2012 at 8:18 pm

      Hello, I have an unusual piece made by First Machinery Corp & was just wandering if anyone can possible help me identify it ?
      I can text or email pics
      Thank You, Mike… mikeflyer2@yahoo.com

  4. Andy Firstenberg says:
    December 17, 2009 at 5:38 am

    I am the last of a long line of Firstenberg’s that have been the in business. My grandfather started in 1892 in NY. I have had my company (Firstenberg Machinery) for 30 years in Richmond, CA San Francisco.
    Andy

  5. De Jonghe Macel says:
    November 8, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Have you make a antique cast iron Butter Churn, early Duty commercial ” R’A’R’E ( see ebay U.S. )
    The Dairy Museum of Belgium think it is not make for Butter !
    made : First Machinery Corp . Thank you for the answer .