Bruce Purdy, an industrialist whose inventions helped spur Wisconsin's papermaking industry after World War II, died peacefully last week at his California home, his daughter said Friday. He was 91.
Purdy held 12 patents but was perhaps best known in manufacturing circles for his cost-saving work at Appleton Wire Works in eastern Wisconsin.
The company made wire-mesh materials used in the papermaking process. In 1944 Purdy invented an automated loom that sped the production of those materials, leading to lower costs for papermakers and paper that was of higher quality.
The invention earned him a spot in the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in Appleton in 2005.
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Purdy, pioneer in Wis. manufacturing, dies at 91 -- chicagotribune.com
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