Mechanical Devices Company History
Frank Earl Sperry, a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Illinois, founded Mechanical Devices Company in 1914.
The
company started in Aurora, Illinois manufacturing a three-color inking attachment, but by the 1920s had expanded its manufacturing into hydraulic pumps.
In 1928, a deal was negotiated with the Williams Oil-O-Matic Company to machine fuel oil pumps, and the company was moved to Bloomington, Illinois. Frank’s son Daniel, who attended the University of Illinois, expanded the company to include production manufacturing after Frank’s death in 1956.
Under the ownership of Daniel and his wife Irene, the company grew. In 1989, it moved from its original 6,000 square foot site in Bloomington to its present location on 20 acres of property at 2005 G. E. Road. The company’s facilities presently encompass 250,000 square feet, including offsite logistics management.
Early in their lives, three of Daniel and Irene’s children, Linda Fillingham, Carol Kant and Mark Sperry accepted responsibility of being the third generation to manage the company. After the death of Irene in 1997, Dan moved into his retirement years and today, Carol Kant is the CEO and President of the company, Linda Fillingham is CFO and Mark Sperry is Vice President of Engineering and Sales.
Currently, the third generation is managing the company using 6-Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and 5S methodologies and the Mechanical Devices Production System to support its customers. The company is WBENC and ISO 9001 certified. Carrying the family business from brother sister to cousins required great skills in succession planning, Linda and Carol have children now working in the company as Black Belts. They believe their children must work from the bottom up to fully understand the functions of the company and find a spot in which their skills will best serve the company.
