Hugo L. Vits, who is associated with his father and brothers in conducting the affairs of the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, one of Manitowoc's leading independent industries, is a progressive and enterprising business man and was born in Manitowoc county, December 11, 1880, a son of Henry Vits. His grandfather, William H. Vits, came first to the United States in 1854, and during the next year brought his children to the United States, his wife, Henrietta (Laufs) Vits, having died in Germany. He purchased land in Meeme township, on which he built one of the first grist mills in Manitowoc county, but this he sold in 1858, and went to Kansas, where he lived with his married daughter in 1870, when he returned to the homestead. He resided there until 1873, when he came to Manitowoc with his son, Henry, who went into business here, and he resided with his son until a few months prior to his death, when he again went to Kansas. The four children whom he brought to the United States were: Annie, who married Christian Weyer and died in Kansas; Mary, the wife of Jacob Bierhaus, a butcher of Manitowoc, who died in 1864; Henry; and Minnie, deceased, who was the wife of John Norton, of Kansas. Henry Vits came to the United States when thirteen years of age, was apprenticed to the tanning business for some time and until January, 1873, was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Newton township. He then engaged in the tanning business with Martin Vollendorf and later with Louis Sherman, finally conducting business on his own account until entering the aluminum manufacturing line in 1898. From 1894 until 1898, Mr. Vits served as postmaster of Manitowoc and has been on the board of supervisors and in the city council. He represented his district in the state assembly most acceptably, and is now a member of the jury commission on the school board and of the park commission, and is prominent in fraternal circles as an Odd Fellow. On April 28, 1866, he was united in marriage with Mary Hockemeyer, daughter of Fred Hockemeyer, an early settler of Manitowoc. Mr. and Mrs. Vits have had nine children, those surviving being: Albert, George and Hugo, all connected with the business founded by their father; Hattie, who married John Topic, of Detroit, Michigan and Emma, the wife of William F. Pflueger, of Manitowoc. The Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, organized January 1, 1908, combines the Aluminum Manufacturing Company of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, organized about 1895; the New Jersey Aluminum Company of Newark, New Jersey, organized in 1890; and the Manitowoc Aluminum Novelty Company, organized in 1898. In 1911, the present modern fireproof plant was constructed and it is one of the best of its kind in the state, being equipped with automatic sprinklers, operated by electricity, and supplied with the latest devices and improved machinery. Six hundred employes are required to turn out the products which consist of a general line of novelties and cooking utensils although the latter are manufactured only as a side line. These goods are second to none on the market and meet with a ready sale all over this and foreign countries. The company is absolutely independent of any other concern. Mr. Vits is a graduate of the Manitowoc high school, with the class of 1897, and in October of that year he became messenger for the National Bank. Three years later he became bookkeeper for the German American Bank, but after three years left that institution to enlist his services in behalf of the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, with which he is now connected. He is a prominent Mason, belonging to the blue lodge, chapter, commandery and shrine, and also holds membership in the Elks.

This is a bio. sketch from "History of Manitowoc County Wisconsin" by Dr. L. Falge, 1911-1912, v.2, p.18-19