In 1983 Chicago Mill was owned by the Pritzker Family in Chicago, Illinois under a corporate conglomeration of which I cannot remember the name at this time. Chicago Mill was sold to American Box Company out of Fernwood, Mississippi. I was the only Chicago Mill employee that was transferred to Fernwood on a full time basis. Bill Nye and Bill Hunt were kept on on a short term basis to help with the transition.
Chicago Mill specialized in the watermelon crate business and most of our watermelon crates were hinged collapsible crates. I think American Box purchased Chicago Mill to gain a market share of the watermelon crates business. The following sketch is a wire-bound crate watermelon version that I drew while I was with American Box.
In 1987 our competitors in a nearby town, purchased American Box and the name of the company became Great American Wirebound Box Company. When we were acquired in 1987 I asked to not be offered a position with the new company. I transferred back to the Greenville, Mississippi plant to help with the closed down of the Greenville operation.
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