Not a huge library of information on Houdaille Industries, but here is what I’ve found out in my many searches on Google thus far…
Houdaille was founded in 1925 by Maurice Houdaille, who invented the double-action rotary shock absorber. By the 1970’s the company was a sizable conglomerate with sales in the 400$ million range. Houdaille produced shock absorbers and other auto parts, machine tools, and other steel products. The plant in Buffalo NY was a member of the hydraulics division. During WWII, the plant was likely converted over to aircraft production to assist in the American war effort (in tandem with Curtiss-Wright down the street?). By 1978, the company was running into some financial trouble and a stock purchase takeover scheme by the Jacobs family of Buffalo failed when the Goldman-Sachs brokerage firm arranged the sale of Houdaille to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company
Sources:
- http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/kkr.htm
- http://www.reocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/1205/hhist.html
- http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-28636859.html
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixbuffalo/3094089614/