Construction Adhesives and Sealants Manufacturer Celebrates a Milestone
W.R. Meadows began in 1926 as a supplier of asphalt and wood fiber expansion joints.
In 1926, a young entrepreneur in Elgin, Ill., understood how important transportation would be to future development in the U.S. W.R. “Bob” Meadows realized that seasonal conditions wreaked havoc on the expansion and contraction of concrete, and he saw an opportunity to control these forces by developing asphalt and wood fiber expansion joints.
It turned out to be the catalyst for creating W.R. Meadows. Meadows purchased a building on Kimball Street in Elgin to serve as a manufacturing plant for his first product, SEALTIGHT asphalt expansion joint filler. Located about 50 miles northwest of Chicago, Elgin was a bustling river town with a population of 30,000, and would be home to the company’s headquarters until the late 1990s. The need for more space required a move to farmland in Hampshire, about 10 miles away. Despite recent development, W.R. Meadows is one of the largest businesses in the town of 5,600 people.