A
brief history of
BALLY CASE AND COOLER, Inc.
A
brief history of
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BALLY can trace its beginnings to the year 1930 when it started, in a very small way, in Bally, Pennsylvania. At that time, BALLY Refrigerated display cases, which today can be found in every state in the USA and in many, many countries around the world, were produced by BALLY CASE AND COOLER in Bally, Pennsylvania.
At that time, Mr. Leonard Melcher, a native of Bally, was the sole proprietor of a small woodworking factory that manufactured radio cabinets and cedar chests. His business, at that time, was known as Bally Novelty Works, and occupied an old two-story wooden structure in Bally, Pennsylvania.
The year 1931 saw the transition from wood products to the repair and, ultimately, the manufacture of meat display cases which proved to be so profitable that Mr. Melcher discontinued the manufacture of other items.
In 1932, the case sales were taken over by Mr. George M. Prince of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and a great deal of expansion took place in the years 1932 and 1933. It was in January of 1934 that Mr. Melcher and Mr. Prince formed a partnership and adopted the name "BALLY CASE AND COOLER COMPANY". The first building was a mere 40’ x 100’ (12.2 X 30.48M) and is still on the site of the former BALLY CASE AND COOLER COMPANY in Bally, Pennsylvania. During the ensuing 27 years there was a spectacular amount of growth, and there were great increases in plant, equipment, and personnel.
In 1947, company management instituted a modern porcelain enameling plant, which provided porcelain enamel parts, not only, for BALLY display cases, but enabled the company to solicit enameling business from other manufacturers in the sign, lighting, stove, refrigerator, and architectural fields. Many cases were produced at that time, many of which are still in use today in many small businesses around the country.
It was in the late 40’s and 50’s when self-service selling in food markets was fully accepted by the American public, and during those years thousands of new supermarkets were constructed.
As a result, BALLY invented, what remains today, the highest quality pre-engineered, prefabricated panel system, which was then known as a sectional, all-metal walk-in cooler and freezer. These were used in food stores, wholesale food distributors, restaurants, hotels and motels, schools, hospitals, drive-in movies, institutions, industrial cafeterias, and many other places where mass feeding took place. Distribution of walk-ins was made through several hundred commercial refrigeration and food store equipment dealers throughout the country.
It was the substantial growth of the company during the Depression of the 1930’s and in later years that attributed greatly to the company’s dedicated efforts to produce the highest quality products available. All of these efforts have resulted in the name "BALLY" being respected throughout the food industry and cold-storage distribution avenues.
In ensuing years, BALLY remained the epitome of quality as far as pre-engineered, prefabricated panel systems.
In later years the company moved to Morehead City, North Carolina, under new ownership where tremendous strides have been made in the continuing manufacture of the highest quality product available in the industry, but under much stricter and closer tolerances that have been made possible due to the introduction of modern computer assisted manufacturing techniques.
BALLY, today is still the most respected name in pre-engineered, prefabricated panels used in walk-in coolers, freezers, and refrigerated warehouses and in the manufacture of complete packaged air-cooled refrigeration systems.
BALLY's success internationally is also the result of more than 40 years of hard work by BMIL International, Inc.
