MFMA
Hall of Fame
 Walter C. Abendroth
Walter was born May 15, 1898, in Reed City, Michigan.
After graduating from the University of Michigan with an engineering
degree in 1922,
he joined the family business, Robbins Flooring Co.
in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. His first assignment with the company was
to convert the
flooring mill from steam-powered belt-driven machinery
to all-electric production. The Rhinelander mill became one of the
first all-electric
flooring mills in the country. This achievement was
later recognized by the MFMA.
Walter became involved with the MFMA
upon joining the family business.
In 1924 the association faced a Federal anti-trust
lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice. He was
assigned to assist with the preparation
of the defense of the association. In 1926 the Supreme
Court handed down a ruling in favor of the MFMA,
and this became a landmark case
still studied in law school today. Walter was closely
involved with the MFMA throughout his career. As
Chairman of the Advertising Committee,
for many years he helped develop a positive national
marketing plan, which is the foundation of the association's
responsible position
in the architectural community today. During WWII
and the Korean War, Walter was the MFMA representative
in the Forest Products
Industry
Advisory Committee for price controls in Washington,
D.C. Walter also served as the MFMA President from
1946 through 1951.
In 1938 when the Newberry, Michigan
plant burned, Walter engineered the rebuilding of
the plant and it was back in operation by the end
of 1939. The Newberry plant was sold in 1946 to a
plywood manufacturer. Walter and his brother, Paul,
oversaw the design and
construction
of a new plant in Ishpeming, Michigan, starting in
1945. The new plant went into operation in September
1947. During some additional construction
work at their Rhinelander plant, the mill was completely
destroyed by fire in 1948. Robbins needed to replace
the lost production quickly
so Walter purchased a flooring mill in Reed City,
Michigan, then owned and operated by E.L. Bruce Co.
This was the same mill where
Walter's
father, Albert, was associated with William Horner
in 1891. The Robbins Reed City plant ran continuously
until April 1962 when it was permanently
closed.
In 1955 William Gamble sold a half interest
in Yawkey-Bissell Hardwood Flooring Co., White Lake,
Wisconsin, to Walter and Paul. In 1959 the
brothers bought the balance of the company following
the death of Mr. Gamble. During the years of 1955 through
1962, Robbins operated
three flooring mills, located in Reed City, Ishpeming,
and White Lake. Walter coined the marketing phrase "Millions Walk Daily on Robbins
Floors," since Robbins was the largest maple-flooring producer
in the world.
Throughout his career he was instrumental
in the development of wood floor systems, including
the end-to-end systems, cushioned underfloors,
channel-and-clip techniques, and others. He was the
first to add the nailing groove on strip flooring,
now used by almost all mills. Walter
retired in 1962 and relocated to Florida in 1964.
He passed away at the age of 88 in 1986 and was laid to rest in Reed
City, Michigan.
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