NORMA HOFFMAN

Norma-Hoffman Bearings Corporation is one of the notable New York companies that relocated to Stamford, Connecticut between the World Wars. The company’s production facility became an example of how large industrial enterprises can be thoughtfully integrated into residential neighborhoods, demonstrating respect for the urban environment.

The company traces its history back to May 1911, when it was founded as Norma Company of America by W. M. Nomes to import automotive ball bearings from Germany, with 95% of its products destined for the war effort. In 1919, operations moved to a larger space in Long Island City, where they began manufacturing precision roller bearings under license from the British Hoffman Manufacturing Company Ltd. In 1924, after being renamed Norma-Hoffman, the company relocated to Stamford, acquiring a 9.5-acre site for a new, larger plant.

During the Great Depression and World War II, demand for Norma-Hoffman bearings grew, especially from the automotive and defense industries. By 1941, the plant employed 1,200 people, producing high-strength bearings for aircraft engines, ships, instruments, military equipment and more, playing a critical role in national defense.

Norma-Hoffman also made its mark on women’s rights: in 1942, women—who represented a significant portion of the wartime workforce—secured a landmark War Labor Board ruling for equal pay for equal work, setting an important precedent nationwide.

In 1953, Norma-Hoffman became a subsidiary of Universal-American Corporation, and in 1969 joined the German conglomerate FAG. By the late 1970s, manufacturing was transferred to Missouri, and the former Stamford plant was converted into an industrial park. In 2008, the building was acquired by the humanitarian organization AmeriCares for use as offices and warehouse space.