George Vits, president of the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and one of this city's enterprising and progressive business men and public-spirited citizens, is a son of Henry Vits, who founded the company and was its leading spirit from the time that it was only a small, and still doubtful venture until it had reached proportions that placed it among the leading industries of Manitowoc. The Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company was organized January 1, 1908, combining three large manufacturing concerns, namely: The Aluminum Manufacturing Company of Two Rivers, Wisconsin; the Aluminum Manufacturing Company, of Newark, New Jersey; and the Manitowoc Aluminum Novelty Company, of this city. In 1911, following out the idea to combine all three under one roof, a factory building was erected in Manitowoc, three stories in height, three hundred by forty feet, with an adjoining power plant, one hundred and fifty by fifty feet. The service tower is thirty by fifty feet, and the entire plant is operated by electricity. The buildings are of brick, with lower floors cemented, the cross beams and pillars are of iron, the second and third floors of mill construction, and all the structures are absolutely fireproof, the automatic sprinkler system being installed throughout. A force of six hundred employes is necessary to handle the business, the product being a general line of novelties and cooking utensils, although the latter are manufactured only as a side line. The company bears the reputation of manufacturing the best goods obtainable, and sells its product all over the United States and in foreign countries, being absolutely independent of any other concern. The Manitowoc Aluminum Novelty Company was organized in 1898, with Henry Vits as president; William F. Pflueger, secretary; and William Vits, vice president and superintendent. The concern was started in a small way, and grew until it employed one hundred and thirty people. The Two Rivers Manufacturing Company was organized about 1895 by Joseph Koenig. and the Hamilton brothers, and at the time of the reorganization was employing one hundred and fifty people. The New Jersey Aluminum Company has been in operation since 1890. and brought a force of over one hundred people to the new organization. The present officers of the company are: George Vits, president and general manager; F. Magee, secretary and treasurer, and Joseph Koenig, vice president. Henry Vits was born in Rheydt, Rhine Province. Prussia, Germany, January 21, 1842, being a son of William H. and Henrietta (Laufs) Vits, the latter of whom died in the fatherland. William H. Vits brought his family in 1855, after a trip here in 1854, when he bought land in Meeme township, Manitowoc county. On this he built one of the first grist mills in the county but later sold it. In 1858 he went to Kansas, to visit a married daughter, but in 1870 returned to this county, and for three years lived on the old home farm. In 1873 Henry Vits moved to the city of Manitowoc, going into business, and his father resided with him there until a few months prior to his death, when he again went to Kansas, where his death occurred. William H. Vits brought four children to the United States: Annie, who married Christian Weyer and moved to Kansas, where both died; Mary, who married Jacob Bierhaus, a butcher of Manitowoc, and died in 1864; Henry; and Minnie, who married John Norton of Kansas and died there. Henry Vits was thirteen years of age when he came to the United States and until January, 1873, worked on the old home farm in Meeme township. He then came to Manitowoc, and in conjunction with Martin Vollendorf carried on a tanning business until 1876, when the partnership was dissolved. He was then associated with Louis Sherman in the same line for four years, after which he bought the tanning plant of Mr. Vollendorf, and until 1898 continued in that business alone. In that same year he began manufacturing aluminum products, founding the business which formed the nucleus of the present large company. From 1894 until 1898, Mr. Vits served as postmaster of Manitowoc, and he also represented his district in the state assembly and served on the board of supervisors and on the city council. He is now a member of the jury commission of the school board and of the park commission and is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows. On April 28, 1866, he married Mary Hockemeyer, daughter of Fred Hockemeyer, one of Manitowoc's early settlers, and to this union there were born nine children, of whom five survive, namely: Albert, George and Hugo, all connected with the business founded by their father; Hattie, who married John Topic, and resides in Detroit, Michigan; and Emma, the wife of William F. Pflueger, of Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

This is a bio. sketch from "History of Manitowoc County Wisconsin" by Dr. L. Falge, 1911-1912, v.2, p.15-1