This summer Tricia Staible
was named President of the Robinson Fans Company, just outside Pittsburgh. She took over the helm from her father, Carl
Staibile. It was her great-great-great grandfather
and his son who started Robinson Machine Company 1892, the predecessor to
Robinson Fans. In the beginning, the business served the coal industry, making
everything from fans and engines, to hoists
and haulers.
In the first of many transitions, the company narrowed its
focus in the late 1800’s to manufacturing fans for the mining industry. It was
a desperately needed technological improvement in the era when a canary was still
used to determine air quality in deep mines.
The company succeeded in riding the tide for a century and a
half of changing demand and customer needs. In the 1930’s the company, then
known as Robinson Ventilating, developed high-temperature
fan equipment for coal drying and heat treatment processes in the steel
industry. The 40’s and 50’s saw groundbreaking research at Robinson in the area of air movement, moisture, and heat for drying ceramic wares. The
1970’s brought about a new market for pollution control fans. Currently, the company
not only manufactures fans but has a
quick response team to repair any brand fan on the spot. Today, Robinson Fans is one of the leading hi-temp fan
manufacturers in the world.
The company
is opening its doors to the public on October 7th for National Manufacturing
Day. To learn more and register, click here.
