A look back at Jefferds Corporation through the years...

This is the earliest known picture of Joe Jefferds in a company situation.  Joe founded the Company.  This picture was taken inside the factory of Automatic Transportation Co. of Chicago-an early fork lift line that Jefferds and Moore handled.  The photo was taken in  late 1947.

Click the image above to read an article from July 17, 1949 about Joe Jefferds from the Charleston Gazette. ( 2 meg pdf file)

This is the original location of Jefferds and Moore on Virginia Street in Charleston, WV.  Note the hand trucks in the window-a product line we still handle.  Faintly in the window is a reflection of a late 1940’s auto parked across the street.

We have carried hand trucks since the early days of the business and the basic design hasn’t changed much over the years-this is from the 1950’s.
 

This shows early construction on the second location of Jefferds and Moore-it was on Chesterfield Avenue in Kanawha City.  The lights in the background are from the old Watt Powell Baseball Park.  Note the forklift that has no overhead guard-it was not required then.  Picture is from the late 50’s-note the ’57 Chevy!


 

This is the shop area of the Chesterfield Avenue location.  Note the absence of Overhead Guards on the lift trucks.
 

Collection of Clark inventory from Chesterfield Avenue-dates from the late 50’s


 

A collection of Skate Wheel and Roller conveyor that was stocked in the late 50’s-we still stock and sell it today!

This is a picture of Frank Hyre in 1958 working in the Parts Area of the Chesterfield Avenue location.  Frank moved to Roanoke in 1960 and became Vice President and General Manager of the Homestead Materials Handling Division of Jefferds Corporation until he retired in 1998.  Frank continues to serve on the Jefferds Board of Directors.


 

This is the front of the building in Kanawha City.  On the right is Bill Ashley who was a Vice President of Operations into the mid-80’s.  Based on the vehicles, this photo dates from the early 60’s.

This is the Roanoke location in 1964.  The building has had multiple additions since then but we are still located there on Salem Turnpike.

 

This photo shows the rear of the Parkersburg building in 1967.  We moved to Parkersburg then to provide ‘back door” service to that growing area of West Virginia.

 

On the left is Don Wallace and on the right is Don Preston both of whom served as salesmen out of our Huntington, WV office.  Don Preston retired in 1999 and Don Wallace retired in 2005. 
 

This is the first location in Staunton, Virginia on Route 250.  We moved there in late 1975.  The building still stands.
 

This picture was taken about 1976 as our Company name changed from Jefferds and Moore to Jefferds Corporation in 1977.  Jim Wallace, who retired in 2004,  is standing by the Bobcat model 975-the largest unit that Bobcat made at that time.  Kay Mallory is in the bucket-she currently serves as our Rental Manager in St. Albans.