A. B. Klay
A. B. Klay, one of the leading business men of Lima, is superintendent of the National Roofing Tile Company, which is one of the important industrial plants of the city. He was born in 1858 in Switzerland, and his educational training was secured in his native land, where he lived until he was 26 years of age.
Mr. Klay learned the roofing tile business in Switzerland. In 1883 he came to America, locating first at Berne, Indiana, where many of his countrymen form a prosperous community. Not finding a good opening there in his special line of work, he remained but 18 months and then came to Ohio, locating at Bluffton, Allen County, where he engaged in a contracting business until 1891. He secured a farm and for some years carried on agricultural work during the summers and spent his winters in close study of matters pertaining to his special trade, during which period he perfected many designs for machinery to be used in the manufacture of roofing tile. In 1897 the accuracy of these plans he put to the test, erecting at Ottawa, Putnam County, the first roofing tile factory in this section of the State. He successfully operated the factory there until 1901. In the fall of that year, upon the organization of the National Roofing Tile Company, at Lima, he came to this city as its superintendent.
This company was incorporated with a capital stock of $ 100,000, and its officers, all well-known capitalists, are as follows: J. R. Sinclair, president; J. F. Andrews, vice-president; Davis J. Cable, secretary; Charles Stolzenbach, treasurer, and A. B. Klay, superintendent. The board of directors is composed of the following men of stability: J. D. S. Neely, William H. Duffield, C. H. Cory, J. A. Bendure, A. B. Klay, and John Kerr. The late T. J. Morris was one of the original directors.
Mr. Klay is also president of the A. B. Klay Company, which has just been organized and incorporated with a capital stock of $100,000. In this company he is also a member of the board of directors and one of the largest stock-holders. He is one of the practical tile men and these factories are operated with dry kilns and machinery of his invention. As this factory is now in successful operation, Mr. Klay anticipates erecting more factories in the near future, to be operated under the A. B. Klay patents.
Mr. Klay was married in 1880, in Switzerland, to Mary Knuss, and they have eight children, all of whom are now living, as follows: Emil, for three years foreman of the National Roofing Tile Company, who married a daughter of the late John Barr; Emma, who is the wife of Rudolph Moser,of LIma; Bertha, who is the wife of Herman Moser, of Lima; Jacob, formerly designer for the National Roofing Tile Company, who is still interested in the business; and Menno, Sarah, Albert and William, who are attending school.
Fraternally Mr. Klay is an Odd Fellow. He takes no very active interest in politics beyond supporting those candidates who in his judgment will best work for good government. The attractive family home is located at No. 817 East Elm Street, Lima.