inventory · entities · updated 2026-07-25
A. F. Tremblay (Harold Trembley)
entity active p2
American engineer living in Mexico who had built automated glassmaking machinery for a Monterrey factory; recruited by Tips to break Hartford Empire's machinery monopoly. Relocated to Three Rivers in 1924, sold the company a patented bottle-blowing machine (U.S. Patent No. 1,648,792) for $6,000 in 1928, and later co-managed the plant.
Next action: None. Name-spelling variance (Tremblay/Trembley, initials A.F. vs. first name Harold) is a documented, not-yet-resolved source discrepancy.
personthree-rivers-glassengineermechanization
Why Track This
The engineer whose machinery let Three Rivers Glass compete with automated out-of-state producers — arguably the single most consequential hire in the company’s history after Tips himself.
Current State
Tips’ own letters spell the name “Trembley” and give no first name; Michael David Smith’s book gives “Harold Trembley”; period trade press and the surviving 1928 bill of sale spell it “A. F. Tremblay.” The bill of sale (Live Oak County, recorded 1928) is the most legally authoritative document and uses “A. F. Tremblay.”
Next Action
None — name variance documented rather than resolved.
Notes
Co-managed the plant with Frank Schattel and Bill Reese per a September 1926 clipping.