Heritage \ Businesses \ Industrial

United Carbon Products Company
Bay City, MI

by Marvin Kusmierz (December 2002)

Bay City has had a unique history associated with high-purity graphite since 1945. -- Important capability necessary for semiconductor and many other applications.

United Carbon Products Company (UCP) was formed in 1945 by George T. Sermon and Lynn Brooks with support from a small group of investors . The basis of the company would be a unique purification process for removing impurities from graphite. The process involves submitting graphite to very high temperatures (>1800 degrees C.) while introducing a halogen gas to aid in removal of metallic impurities .

First operations were set up 508 McGraw street with Lynn Brooks as President and General Manager. They landed a contract with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC's Manhattan Project) when it was demonstrated UCP's process could successfully remove Boron from nuclear grade graphite. The AEC business kept the company a float for the first two years. During this period, UCP's purification technology was being reported in technical and scientific journals. This caught the interest of chemical, metallurgical and spectrographic companies bringing in new orders.

Outgrowing their McGraw facility, the business moved in 1949 to 1301 Madison avenue into a 9600 square foot building. Two major expansions of the building (1956 and 1959) increased its space to 44,000 square feet.

In 1953, the company had six employees: George Sermon, President and General Manager; Gene Musinski, Sales and Administration; Mike Sordyl, Purchasing and Billing; Joe Sermon (George's brother), Packaging and Shipping; Lorraine Smith, Maintenance; and, Don Johnson, Furnace Operator. By 1960, total number of employees was around 100 and the business now had a machining shop ran Dar Williams. The machining business was purchased from Williams in 1955 who worked as a fireman. During his off duty hours he machined graphite on the UCP site which they purchased.

Emission Spectroscopy:
High current is passed through an upper and lower graphite electrode to vaporize a substance which is captured with a photographic device which is transferred to a glass plate. The plate contains density lines (spectrum) revealing elements present in the source material.

A number of important early innovations played an important role in the company becoming the leader of high purity graphite sold to analytical laboratories around the world. The company's initially supplied purified graphite rods to laboratories, sizes were typically 1/8 and 1/4 inch diameter by 12 inches long. The rods were purchased from Union Carbide Carbon Products then purified before shipping onto labs. At the lab, spectroscopist used the rods to shape electrodes used in emission spectroscopy.

A major break through came when UCP added machining services eliminating the need for spectroscopists shape their own electrodes. UCP's "ready to use" electrodes became an instant hit. Preformed electrode sales went so well that the company decided to offer a catalogue of popular shapes to expedite delivery to customers. Again, spectroscopists liked the idea, instead waiting one or two weeks for custom machined electrodes, they could order a stock shape that would be shipped within 24 hours. With business and profits soaring, UCP to started up a publication called, Arcs & Sparks. It was published quarterly and each issue featured a different customer's laboratory. Included was coverage of analytical techniques, shows, conferences and ads promoting the company's growing line of analytical products. Technical and sales personal attended various analytical shows and conferences and the company exhibited its products at the Pittsburgh Conference where analyst from around the world gathered each year to review the latest analytical techniques and equipment.

The 1960s the semiconductor industry brought new challenges and opportunities for UCP. During the 1850s, the company had provided small orders of prototype products to companies making semiconductors. Several processes used in making semiconductor materials use graphite tooling such as resistance heaters, shielding and susceptors. UCP entertained orders for these products even at a loss believing the demand for their purified products would take off. It did during the 1960s. Customers like Motorola, Monsanto, Texas Instruments, Fairchild Semiconductor and others determined that "high purity" graphite tooling was essential to producing higher quality semiconductors. These customers looked to UCP to meet their needs. However, company wasn't prepared for the volume and size of products they now needed and had to quickly expand its machining and purification equipment to accommodate larger products to service these new business.

In 1966, the strength of company was tested when founder George Sermon, now President and General Manager decided to leave the company. The company was at the peak of a growth period, there were concerns that Sermon's departure might have a substantial negative impact on its sales. These concerns were quickly overcome, sales remained strong and its key customer base was still in place. The following year, the company formally changed it's name from United Carbon Products Co. to Ultra Carbon Corporation (UCD). The new name more clearly associated itself with its dominate product line known as Ultra "F" Purity. In 1972, UCD expanded again, purchasing a larger building at 900 Harrison street. The building formerly housed Met-Bay, Inc., the business George Sermon started up after leaving UCP.

1972 sketch of Harrison St. building

Sales were now dominated by products sold to semiconductor manufacturing companies. A second production plant was set up in Sherman, Texas to handle growth. The plant was located close to the plant of Texas Instruments, a key semiconductor customer. The new plant would be able to service customers in Arizona and California where most semiconductor manufacturing plants were located. Besides machining and purification, the company had put in place technology to coat graphite using chemical vapor deposition techniques. Either a pyrolytic or silicon carbide could be deposited a machined part to seal off the porous graphite, a highly desirable product for susceptors (trays) used in processing semiconductor wafers.

In 1987, the company's majority shareholders sold the business to Stackpole Corporation and it began operations as a subsidiary of Stackpole Carbon Company's company in St. Mary's, Pennsylvania. Stackpole Corporation sold the business to Le Carbone Lorraine in 1990 and it became the Ultra Carbon Division of the Carbone of America.

Today, the Harrison street plant produces an increasing number of applications requiring graphite. Besides products for analytical and semiconductor applications, this location is supplying products for aerospace, glass manufacturing, mechanical and many other applications.

The small business that George Sermon and Lynn Brooks started up 1946 has led to a number of other graphite business situated in our area. It is interesting to note that the customer base of these businesses is not dependent on local sales or state sales for that matter. There customer base is spread around the North America and overseas. Few in the community are aware these companies that have contributed to a "silent" local center of companies known to customers around the world.

• Bay Carbon
  Located on Marquette in Bay City.
• General Graphite Inc.
  Located on First street in previous Michigan Central Railroad building.
• Met-Bay (closed)
  Located on Harrison, closed in 1970s.
• Midland Materials
  Located in Midland, now a part of Carbone of America.
• Syntac Corporation (closed)
  Located on north Euclid near Dobsons. Purchased by Stackpole, later by Ultra Carbon.

The following are people listed in the company's 1957 directory:

Allsopp, William - Bay City Arbury, NEd - Midland Bender, Robert - Bay City Bartkowiak, Felix - Bay City Bujalski, Ronald - Bay City Bujalski, Clarence - Bay City Carson, Alfred P. - Detroit Corley, William - Detroit Dubay, Donald W. - Bay City Fisher, Dwayne K - Akron French, Donald G. - Bay City French, William E. - Bay City Gonyaw, Kenneth L. - Bay City Goatz, William E. - Bay City Harder, Jerry D. - Bay City Harkey, William - Saginaw Howe, Loma (Mrs.) - Saginaw Hughes, Del - Essexville Johnson, Clarence O. - Standish Johnson, Donald R. - Bay City Leser, Robert C. - Bay City Lescelius, Joseph T. - Saginaw Lundbom, Oscar - Essexville

Marciniak, Don - Bay City Marcinkowski, Clarice - Bay City Morrisette, William - Bay City Musinski, Eugene - Bay City Napieralski, Richard - Bay City Nashatka, Julis (Mrs.) - Bay City Radtke, Alton W. - Bay City Routly, Philip - Bay City Smith, Lorsine M. - Bay City Sikorski, Theresa - Bay City Stasik, Raymond E. - Bay City Sarnowski, Dik - La Mirida, CA Sermon, G. T. - Essexville Sermon, Joseph C. - Bay City Sheldon, Weston L. - Midland Sordyl, Michael - Pinconning Williams, D. J. - Essexville Yarch, Alvin - Rogers City

Other significant individuals to the company's history are:

• Anthony, Robert: Sales/Marketing, first SiC conversion engineer.
• Arbury, Ned: Major stock holder, member of board.
• Baney, Raymond: Stock holder, Sales/Marketing, General Manager.
• Bender, Robert: Sales
• Clare, William: Engineer, later founded Bay Carbon.
• Haga, Lee: First SiC coating engineer.
• Kurlinski, Ted:: Engineering
• Leistner, Carl: Analyst, Technical Director
• Sheldon, Dave: President and General Manager, son of Wes Sheldon.
• Sheldon, Wes: Majority stock holder, member of board.
• Superzinski: Major stock holder.
• Wilsey, Harvey: Semiconductor engineer, Sales, Texas Plant Manager.