During the height of emigration to America in the early 1900’s many immigrants took on any job available to them, and because the necessary capital to start a second hand drum business was so low this was often a reasonable option. Oil companies created a high demand for barrels and it took little more than a cart, mule, and basic labor skills to sell these reconditioned containers. Some of these men, though unknown at the time, were starting businesses that would be past down from generations; for example, Walter Moore’s Moore Drums, Inc. has celebrated over 100 years of business. Collecting used wooden barrels, cleaning them out, and sometimes recoopering damaged ones, many of these men kept with their reconditioning sales plan, even though there was a shift to steel drums.
Fast forward a few decades and many of these family businesses have made the switch to steel drum reconditioning. During the early years of World War II everything from food to battleships were being sent to help aid the British, and because steel drums were lighter, stronger, and more easy to handle than wooden barrels, demand skyrocketed. Steel became scarce and in 1943 a federal order prohibited the purchase of a new steel drums unless it could be proven that the one it was set to replace was no longer usable. Naturally, this proved beneficial for steel drum reconditioners.
Like most industries in America, the reconditioning of steel drums made great progress at impressive speed. By the 1960s reconditioning processes and machinery were developed for almost every type of steel drum, even those with hazardous materials. The necessary capital was nearly equal, or sometime more, for reconditioning plants than for manufacturers of new drums. Reconditioners proved economical and were saving shippers millions of dollars each year.
Reconditioning continues to be a much practiced process today. The economical, as well as environmental benefits consistently earn its place in history and the future.