GRAFTON – Wyman-Gordon is a forging company with a long history in Grafton. Its North Grafton building was constructed by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1946, with heavy manufacturing capabilities to support larger, more-advanced aircraft designs.
Wyman-Gordon was originally founded in 1883 in Worcester by H. Winfield Wyman and Lyman F. Gordon, two graduates of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. They were making parts for textile looms. The crankshaft created by the company also had a role in the boom of the auto industry, and 35 car manufacturers used their products in their vehicles. Due to the demands of World War I, Wyman-Gordon began aviation forging, producing engine parts, propellers, landing gear, and structural airframe parts.
By the 1940s, the industry was changing, and there was increased demand for lighter metals like magnesium, and later aluminum and titanium. Around this time, Wyman-Gordon moved from Worcester to Grafton, working in an existing facility that specialized in aviation forging for the United States military. The U.S. Air Force owned the building and contracted the work out to Wyman-Gordon…