MANSFIELD — Jennifer Enskat was surprised to hear her dad’s voice in a tribute video she watched at the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum’s “Champions of Industry” hall of fame dinner.
“I don’t know why, but I wasn’t really expecting to hear him,” she said. “He died in 2009, and I didn’t know those clips existed.”
Enskat’s father, Bob Enskat — a General Motors plant manager in Michigan and later Ontario — was inducted into the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum’s champions of industry hall of fame on Aug. 29.
“It was a lovely event and video, and he had such wise things to say,” Enskat said.
Bob Enskat worked at General Motors for 40 years, 13 of which were as plant manager in Ontario after GM transferred him there in 1976.
“When he came to our plant, it was in bad shape,” said Doc Stumbo, a former coworker and United Auto Workers local leader. “If he hadn’t come, it would have closed years before it did. He believed in people and jobs.”
NCOIM posthumously honors six groups of company founders
NCOIM president Jerry Miller said it’s difficult to convince “champions of industry” to be honored in the hall of fame.
“There’s plenty of living champions who I want to induct, but most of them are very humble and don’t want to be honored just yet,” he said.
“But having family members, especially the ones who still live around the area after four or five generations, is something really special. I was happy to have so many descendants there.
“It’s so cool to research people’s family members, who they might only know as dad or grandpa, and share their industrial expertise with them.”
Miller chooses the inductees each year based on their contributions to Mansfield manufacturing and industrial history. He started with the manufacturers in North Central State College’s Hall of Excellence and has found his own inductees for about four years.
“We’ve gone backwards a few times — for Gorman-Rupp, we had inducted Jeff, Gayle and Jim Gorman, but hadn’t inducted the founders JC Gorman and HE Rupp yet.”
NCOIM Champions of Industry highlights past, future of manufacturing
Each inductee received a personalized cutting board from Miller Fabricating and Welding. Descendants or business partners accepted the awards for this year’s posthumous inductees.
“My dad would always shy away from recognition,” Jennnifer Enskat said. “He was someone who always wanted to make things happen, but he wanted to do it while keeping a low profile.
“And yet, I think this hall of fame would have really touched him. He might have been a little embarrassed, but being recognized by his industry colleagues would have made him proud.”
Enskat, executive director of Leapyear Studios, said she enjoyed learning about the history of her dad’s contributions to local manufacturing and the history of other businesses.
“We learned about the history of the companies, but also the people and what they were like,” she said. “A lot of them are still around or have taken on a new life like Braintree. Our studio is in a former factory, and it’s neat to see how it took on a new life.”
Russ and Tammy Cook catered the annual NCOIM dinner and Mary Bolesky at Mrs. B’s Beautiful Foods provided appetizers.
About 13 manufacturing and engineering students from The Ohio State University — Mansfield and North Central State College also attended the event.
Though his museum collection focuses on north central Ohio’s extensive manufacturing history, Miller said NCOIM is also invested in manufacturing’s future.
“We’re working to do some school tours here in the museum and adding to the Buckeye Imagination activities so kids can explore opportunities even younger,” he said.
NCOIM is free to visit with admission to the Ohio State Reformatory. The museum is located between the cell blocks at 100 Reformatory Road.
Visitors are welcome to donate to the museum in-person or online at ncoim.wordpress.com.
Videos of the Champions of Industry Hall of Fame inductees are below, and also on Rumble and Facebook.
Henne, Hoffman & Stephens Families – Mansfield Tire & Rubber Company
The Tire Company employed about 2,400 people at its peak and had its tire brand featured at the starting line on one of the race cars in the 1916 Indianapolis 500.
Hautzenroeder Family – Hautzenroeder Cigar Company
Col. David Cockley & partners — Shelby Tube Company, now ArcelorMittal
Col. David Cockley was honored with a Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War. He also owned and grew many businesses in Shelby. He developed seamless steel tubing with his business partners HA Lozier, JL Yost, Harmon Dick, BJ Williams, John Dempsey and JA Seltzer.
In 1908, a fire caused the entire shipping facility to burn down, affecting the jobs of around 800 employees. The United States Steel Company, which had acquired the Shelby Tube Company seven years earlier, decided not to rebuild the factory. According to the NCOIM induction video, citizens and stockholders pitched in to rebuild the plant, raising $250,000 in two weeks. Cockley’s vision for the company and Shelby community still has a lasting legacy, as the Shelby Tube Company is now ArcelorMittal.
John Conard – Richland Shale Brick Company
The Richland Shale Brick Company started in the 1880s and later became the Richland Brick Company. John B. Conard took over the management of the plant in 1926 from his father John A. Conard. The younger Conard saw a Mansfield Memorial Homes building named after his family and supported the Ohio State University — Mansfield campus. He also established the John and Pearl Conard Foundation in 1981 shortly before his death.
JC Gorman & HE Rupp – The Gorman-Rupp Company
Gayle Gorman Green, JC Gorman’s granddaughter, said the pair started the Gorman-Rupp Company “with a handshake and $1,500 that they borrowed … Four generations later, it’s still here and still a very viable company.”
Gorman and HE Rupp were both employed at Barnes Manufacturing but were laid off during the Great Depression.
“From that original $1,500, they made the first self-priming pump, they proved it and sold it,” said Jeff Gorman, executive chairman of Gorman-Rupp and the former CEO.
“I think it would be really neat if you could bring them back for a couple of days. They would be blown out of their minds of what Gorman-Rupp is today versus what it was back in 1933 at their start.”
WJ Tappan & Burton Preston – Globe Steel & Abrasive Company
WJ Tappan and Burton Preston co-founded Globe Steel & Abrasive Company out of a mutual need between the Tappan Stove Company and Preston & Company — an importer of granite and other stone. It was once the world’s largest steel shot manufacturer.
John Morley, Charles Swain, Ralph Constance & Tom Barber — Midwest Houses INC
Midwest Houses Inc. was founded after World War II to support the development of affordable housing in Lexington and Mansfield. The founding members each brought different expertise in the lumber trade, prefab development, finance and mortgages.
“Midwest (Houses) became known for its commitment to quality and affordability,” the induction video stated.
Co-founder John Morley helped build more than 2,500 homes in north central Ohio during his career.
Bob Enskat, former General Motors plant manager
Jennnifer Enskat said her father traveled to General Motors plants around the world and developed a modernization plan that GM later implemented to multiple factories.
“He approached General Motors with this plan and he decided, without permission, that he would start,” she said. “He figured it would be easier to get forgiveness, and he was right — once he started, they got on board.”
Enskat also highlighted her father’s philanthropy.
“He didn’t draw limits around his generosity,” she said. “He single-handedly funded the building of a community center in a rural area of Malawi. They started feeding one meal a week to 250 orphans and they now feed 1,600 orphans lunch six days a week at Enskat Hall.
“He would have hated that it’s named after him,” she laughed.
Bob Enskat was a past president of the North Central State College Foundation and named as an honorary life trustee. The Robert H. Enskat Center, a collaboration of General Motors and North Central State College, was named after him when it opened in 1982.