From factory floors to the Hall of Fame: NCOIM inducts 6 new Champions of Industry

MANSFIELD — Some built companies. Some created jobs. One was Mansfield’s first inventor. All of them shaped the community. North Central Ohio’s manufacturing history lives in the stories of the region’s leaders.

On Aug. 27, the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum (NCOIM) honored six new inductees during its sixth annual Manufacturing Hall of Fame Champions of Industry dinner at the Ohio State Reformatory.

The event gathered sponsors, community members and families of the inductees, with some traveling from as far away as Texas and Connecticut.

“It’s not easy to start and run a company for generations,” Jerry Miller, president of NCOIM said. “The founders, owners and managers need to be recognized.”

Miller said organizers have made only minor additions over the years, including working to complete the program in half an hour. The museum has also tried to hold a ribbon-cutting for a new exhibit each year.

The evening gave guests several ways to experience the museum before the induction ceremony. From 4 to 5 p.m., guests toured the museum before gathering for a ribbon-cutting for the Elektro and Mansfield City Robots exhibits. They then moved into networking, dinner and the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Six new inductees joined the NCOIM Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

• Joe Scanlon (1900-1950), a local steelworkers union president, creator of the Scanlon Plan and MIT lecturer.
• Roderick McLean (1837-1894) of the Roderick Lean Manufacturing and Farm Tools family.
• T.R. Barnes (1862-1941), founder of The Barnes Manufacturing Co., Fred Hout (1909-2005) and Jack Mintz (1912-1997), managers for Mil Pryor, The Barnes Manufacturing Co. and Peabody Barnes.
• Peter Scholl (1848-1926) and Justine Sterkel (1877-1965) of New American/Independent Oil Co.
• Daniel McFarland Cook (1820-1897), Mansfield’s first inventor.
• Glenn Taylor (1890-1965) of Taylor-Dlse Manufacturing and Taylor Metal Products.

Honoring the people behind the companies

Miller said his favorite part of the Champions of Industry program is telling the stories of founders and owners who many in the community may not have heard about.

Miller also pointed to the support surrounding the event, including sponsors who backed the NCOIM mission and families who traveled to see their loved ones recognized.

He said the gathering also showed how much he appreciates the community’s support for manufacturing, both past and present.

That recognition does not stop with company founders and owners. The day after the dinner, NCOIM held its Manufacturing Retirees Lunch, which brought together 35 people this year.

“Without a great team in the shop, a company won’t exist,” Miller said.

Families and employees can nominate Champions of Industry candidates, Miller said. Next year, Frank Rebel, who started Rable Machine, will enter the Hall of Fame after a longtime employee nominated him.

“I’ve got a list of companies and individuals that I think are important to our manufacturing history,” he said. 

Remembering the past while looking ahead

Miller said North Central Ohio’s manufacturing history includes more than 3,200 patents and even more inventions, with products that improve everyday life.

Daniel McFarland Cook, identified by the program as Mansfield’s first inventor, created Cook’s Evaporator, a light bulb, a perpetual engine and the “Queen of the Air” flying machine, along with thousands of experiments.

Miller said he hopes younger generations remember and learn from history.

“You have to remember & learn from history, to live in the present,” he said.

Despite the loss of manufacturing jobs over the past 50 years, Miller said manufacturing remains the largest employment sector in Richland County.

“There’s only three ways to create wealth in a country: Farming, mining/drilling and manufacturing,” Miller said.

Miller said he hopes visitors take away the perseverance of the founders and owners who started manufacturing companies and provided good-paying jobs and benefits.

(Photos from the 2026 Manufacturing Hall of Fame Champions of Industry dinner. Credit: DRM Productions.)