Beginnings

Building a better stock tank, carefully constructing durable, pre-assembled tanks from copper-bearing galvanized steel that wouldn't rust or leak, was the idea that Emanuel Norquist was perfecting when he met Charles Butler in Clay Center, KS. Butler was a risk taker, and not one to let a good idea sit idle. When he saw Norquist's new steel stock tank, Butler also saw enormous untapped sales opportunity. These two friends believed that the product had great market potential and with an entrepreneurial will to win they formed a common vision of what might be possible if a partnership were to be formed. Both Butler and Norquist had the courage to take economic risks in order to pursue their goal. Homes were sold and jobs were lost, but with the financial help of Charles' brother Newton Butler, Butler Manufacturing Company was launched in 1901.

The First Butler Building

In 1909, Emanuel Norquist had a need to shelter the Metz automobile he was about to finish assembling. His brother, Victor, set out to construct a small garage. Using the materials he knew best, he designed and constructed an all-steel framework to which were bolted corrugated galvanized steel culvert sheets which gave the garage an arched roof and lasting strength. Butler Manufacturing Company noticed that there was growing demand from the public for sturdy garages. The design was modified to be more cost effective, and by 1910 the first Butler building was sold to Corporate Secretary, Fred Rufi. That first building stood in use in central Kansas City for more than 45 years. When Butler introduced a sturdy two-car version of the garage the market response was immediate, and Butler Manufacturing Company was in the building business for keeps.

Butler Spreads its Wings

Throughout Butler Manufacturing Company's long history, many products have appeared and disappeared. Emanuel Norquist's mechanical aptitude and incessant tinkering were always directed toward making things better by making them simpler, less costly, and easier to handle. Charles Butler's intuitive sales and marketing abilities were equally directed toward knowing exactly what the customer needed, then satisfying that need with personal service. This combination worked excellently for grain bins, and would prove itself again in pre-engineered metal buildings. A few ideas, however, did not turn out as successfully. In 1927, as Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic, Butler Manufacturing Company was not immune to the widespread enthusiasm over airplanes. Even Butler's skills and experience combined with the collaborating efforts of many famous aviators and a sturdy, well built line of airplanes, could not overcome the national financial disaster of October 29, 1929, "Black Tuesday." Caution, wisdom, and careful management have kept Butler Manufacturing Company strong through hard times and a few ill-fated ventures

The Great Grain Bin Adventure

Butler Manufacturing Company introduced its first cylindrical galvanized steel grain bin in 1907. By 1938 research had proved the superiority of these bins over wooden ones and the next year the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its intention to receive bids on delivering 30,666 steel bins in which to store the excess grain from a bumper crop. This order was one and a half times more bins than had been produced the previous year by the entire industry. Guaranteed bids had to be submitted within 30 days and delivered within just 60 days of receiving an order. Butler took on the challenge and against phenomenal odds, refurbished an abandoned plant in Galesburg, IL, supplied it with machinery, staffed it, and mass-produced 14,500 steel bins in 59 days, one day ahead of schedule, plus another 6,000 bins in just 15 additional days. The seemingly unachievable idea to so quickly secure such an enormous order--kept alive by Norquist's clear vision, fueled by adventurous commitment, and fulfilled by hundreds of motivated people--was a spark that began to shape what Butler Manufacturing Company is today.

Rigid Frame Research

In 1939, Wilbur Larkin was chief engineer in the Butler Farm Equipment Division, and his brother Kenneth Larkin was a civil engineer with the Burns & McDonnell consulting engineering firm in Kansas City. They doubted the common assumption that a rigid frame design could not be applied to pre-engineered buildings. Working together, they began to shape an industry with a quality pre-engineered building design that provided more usable interior space, looked better, used less steel, and could be fabricated and erected faster and with fewer people. By 1940, Butler Manufacturing Company had a complete line of rigid frame buildings ready to hit the market.

The rigid frame concept was not new, but its application to pre-engineered buildings had not been considered feasible because of the complicated stress calculations required.

The War Years

R. Buckminster Fuller had gained international fame for his futuristic strategies and his concept of "maximum dynamic utility." Fuller found inspiration in the design of Butler Manufacturing Company's mass-produced grain bins. In their design, he saw low cost, easy to make, fast to erect, demountable, and movable housing for military troops and their families. The mutual admiration and enthusiasm between Buckminster Fuller and Emanuel Norquist propelled the project through design, testing, government approval, and production tooling in a matter of months. The project was ready for action when the reins were suddenly yanked. Steel remained on allocation, and the government could not reasonably divert enough to support any large contracts on these novel houses. A few hundred were put to use by the Army for medical operating rooms and Signal Corps housing, but orders were meager. However, through its connections with Mr. Fuller, Butler Manufacturing Company gained the confidence to take the rigid frame design to the limit, and to lead the growth of pre-engineered buildings into worldwide acceptance and favor.

Post War

While embracing the technological advances of a newly opened research center and still savoring a 50th anniversary celebration, Butler began to feel the strains of growth. Product and marketing decisions seemed to be growing exponentially. It became evident to management that the traditional reliance upon sales, production, and engineering divisions to make joint decisions on every product was fast becoming very inefficient. To maintain a competitive edge, it was time for Butler to build a better company. A management research team lead by Jack Morgan developed a plan to shift leadership into a product line organization which would put quality management close to a product and its particular customers. Five product divisions were formed. Not all were immediately successful but Butler prides itself on being far-sighted about long-range commitment. Buildings for commercial, industrial and institutional end users, and rural buildings, two of the initial group of five product divisions, continue to be the strength of the company today.

Growth of Building Systems

Butler frames, walls, roofs, fasteners, doors and windows, Butler features--the Butler product line evolved into a comprehensive building system. An integrated approach to construction enabled Butler development teams to overcome traditional limitations. Precision fabrication of expertly engineered construction components assure a perfect fit and uniform high quality, unobtainable with ordinary methods. Butler parts enhance and complement each other, making frames with wider, longer and lower slopes possible. The expanded size and flexibility of pre-engineered buildings helped bring the Butler way of building to many new markets.

A New Technology

Butler has pioneered many new products and concepts, challenging any preconceived notion of the limitations of pre-engineered buildings. For example, in the 1970s, Butler extended the long-term value of buildings by making them virtually weathertight. Totally waterproof double lock roof seams with expansion and contraction provision, and insulated purlins, not only added to the durability of the structure, but also aided in energy conservation. Butler also came out with new building systems that defied traditional ideas about pre-engineering, such as Multi-Story, Long Span, and the distinct look of Landmark. Today's Butler building is about flexibility and options.

Growth Through Acquisitions

Never a company to rest upon past success, Butler forged ahead in the 1980s with several acquisitions. These transactions aimed to exploit new markets and increase market share in existing businesses.

In 1984, Butler acquired Howmet Architectural Products from Alumax Aluminum Corporation and subsequently renamed it Vistawall. Several acquisitions were made during the late-1980s and mid-1990s to expand Vistawall's presence in the architectural aluminum markets and further strengthen their powerful market presence. Today, the Vistawall group provides customers worldwide with a broad line of engineered aluminum framed curtain wall, windows, storefronts, entrances and skylights. Although the Vistawall name has been around only since 1984, this Butler division combines the experience of six well-respected aluminum product companies: Howmet, Alumiline/Aldora, Pacific Aluminum, Naturalite, Skywall, and Modu-Line into one entity.

Today, Vistawall maintains facilities across the United States, offering a full line of architectural products, ranging from Vistawall storefront and curtainwall systems; Naturalite skylights; Skywall translucent roof and wall systems; and Modu-Line window systems.

In 1986, Butler acquired Lester's of Minnesota, Inc. It had been a regional producer of wood frame building systems since the 1940s, serving the upper midwest farm market from its lone plant in Lester Prairie, Minnesota. Butler rapidly and profitably expanded Lester's geographically, adding additional plants in Illinois, Kansas, and Virginia. Implementing Butler's tried and true dealer-based distribution method introduced hundreds of contractors to Lester's products and services. Commercial end uses such as retail stores, restaurants, community buildings and churches are ideal Lester applications. For our agricultural customers, Lester provides customized dairy barns, hog confinement buildings and other livestock facilities. In addition, unique designs have been developed for horse stables and riding arenas, along with other types of agricultural utility buildings.

Expanding Internationally

During the 90s there was a significant worldwide expansion by multinational manufacturing companies. Butler Builders have constructed hundreds of these manufacturing plants and distribution centers throughout the world.

Butler's International Division offers a team of experienced international building professionals located in major cities throughout the world to help design your project to meet local planning, architectural and climactic requirements. Our team of experienced management and engineering professionals provide project management, on-site consultation and freight coordination for international building projects.

Looking Ahead

As Butler approaches its 100th anniversary, the company remains faithful to history. Globalization directly correlates with Charles Butler's and Emanuel Norquist's desire to meet the customer's needs, wherever those customers may be. Over the years Butler has engineered, produced and offered its customers a diverse array of products and services. Through it all the company has learned that it does best when it focuses on its core strength, providing distinctive products and services to the non-residential construction market--products that provide genuine value to the dealers who represent Butler and to the building owners who rely upon Butler.