Under the competent leadership and vision of Victor Mueller, the company began to expand and grow. He and his brother, John B., formed a management team that worked long and hard beside the men in the shop.

The year 1931 was very difficult for Laidlaw. Businesses everywhere were still feeling the effects of the great depression and jobs were hard to find. Low pay and long hours were characteristic of the economy with employees earning 10 cents an hour and working 12 hour shifts.

The bale tie was Laidlaw's only product until 1931 when the screen door spring was added. John B. Mueller managed plant operations and operated the first spring forming machine. Galvanized wire was used until 1934, at which time plant equipment was installed.

On Monday, May 1, 1933, without warning, a devastating tornado hit the Peoria area. The entire third floor of the brick Laidlaw building was in shambles minutes later. Fortunately, most of the Laidlaw operation was conducted of the first and second floors and after a good cleaning, production resumed.

In 1937, Laidlaw began to make the Rubber Wasson Flyswater which had been invented by James Wasson and his father, Arthur. The original Wasson swatter had six pieces to fabricate. Today, the number 51 is our biggest seller and has only two pieces to fabricate.

On Saturday, November 19, 1938, a fire broke out and destroyed the building that Laidlaw and two other firms occupied. The fire was fed by oil soaked floors and was out of control by the time firemen arrived. Flames were seen five miles away. As fire raged through the rear of the building, Laidlaw employees struggled to salvage some of the machines. Four coat hanger machines, an oven and some machine shop equipment were pulled from the building moments before the fire closed in.

Laidlaw had purchased its first coat hanger machine in 1931 and, amazingly, this original machine was still producing in the 1980's when it was taken out of service and replaced by faster equipment.