Business

Carr Lane Mourns the Loss of Its Leader

By Mike Botta

Carr Lane Mfg. Co. recently suffered a death in the family with the passing of longtime leader Earl E. Walker at the age of 91. The company reported last week that Walker continued working full time until a week before his death on Aug. 26.

“I feel we have lost the head of our family. I’m not sure how long it will take me to stop looking every time the elevator door opens and expecting to see him step out,” Jean McDaniel, Earl Walker’s administrative assistant, was quoted as saying in a special issue of Carr Lane’s Courier newsletter commemorating Walker’s life story.

Rags to Riches

In a classic rags-to-riches story, Walker started his career in 1940 as a welder for the Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Co., following studies at a technical school, and remained with the firm, which later became McDonnell Aircraft Corp., until 1953.

There he identified the need for standardized parts, when all production would stop to make one or two pins. Earl and two friends began producing parts in a garage during nights and on weekends, with help from his wife, Myrtle.

It marked the modest beginnings of what eventually became the powerful Carr Lane Mfg. Co., a manufacturer of clamps, pins, fixturing devices and other component parts used by automotive, aerospace, appliance and woodworking manufacturers.

Today, Carr Lane is well known among the nation’s machine shops and factories, and distributes more than 100,000 products around the world.

Company Strength

Insiders at Carr Lane say that one of the key strengths of the company has been the longevity of so many of its employees. Several attributed that to Walker’s ongoing interaction with the workers. “Mr. Walker had a way of taking a personal interest in you. Making you feel this special bond was only between you and him,” according to J. Mark Bean, Carr Lane senior buyer.

Another employee, Tom Smith, sales VP, put it this way: “Earl Walker was frequently described as a good ol’ boy with a Wall Street mind.”

Since his death, the company has continued with its growth initiatives heading into 2012 and Carr Lane’s 60^th anniversary celebration. "We haven't skipped a beat … and, in fact, are coming out with many improvements, to project us even stronger into the future," said Judy Camp, marketing director. Plans for the future include green initiatives, improvements in plant productivity, and building updates.

Industry and Community Service

Born February 12, 1920, Walker was a lifelong resident of the St. Louis area and through the years made it a point to devote time and resources to his philanthropic activities with numerous schools and charities.

He also actively participated in the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation and in the Scottish Rite, part of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry.

He was co-founder in 1988 of the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders, which has served more than 15,000 St. Louis-area children with various speech and language disorders.

During his early years, Walker worked part time delivering groceries, managing a roller rink and driving a delivery truck to earn additional income to help his parents.

In addition to his wife Myrtle, Walker is survived by daughters Mary Walker, Nance Frost and Peggy Swisher, and son Tom Walker; seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren (Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 14, 2011).

Commemorative Issue

The eight-page special edition of the Carr Lane Courier newsletter pays tribute to Walker, his family, his numerous activities and accomplishments and his sharp leadership skills. It is a well-organized, in-depth look at a unique individual, beloved by his friends, associates and employees, and offers insight into Walker’s tireless efforts to build his company and help his community right up to the time of his death.

To access the special Carr Lane newsletter, click the following link ... http://www.carrlane.com/Files/Courier_EEW.pdf