Fairbanks Scales
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Where did Muhamad Ali weigh in before all his heavyweight championship fights? Fairbanks Scales. Who personally ordered Fairbanks Scales for his five children for Christmas? President George Herbert Bush. He wanted to encourage them to maintain their personal fitness. And, who is one of the longest, continuously operating companies in the US? Fairbanks Scales, celebrating their 190th birthday this year.
In the 1800’s, an American inventor, Thaddeus Fairbanks, was quite prolific, inventing heating and cooking stoves, cast iron plows, and other items. In 1830, Thaddeus and his brother started raising hemp used in the making of thread and rope. He needed a scale big enough to weigh wagon loads of hemp, accurately. There were no scales at that time that could do this. After devising a plan for building the scales, he told his wife, “I’ve come up with an idea that could make us over a thousand dollars!” These platform scales revolutionized the weighing methods of large loads and have been in use ever since. From your doctor’s office to manufacturing factories and truck weighing stations throughout the United States, you’ll find Fairbanks Scales.
“Fairbanks Scales has become the leader in the industrial weighing space by creating and manufacturing unrivaled equipment. We provide a full range of weighing solutions; from bench, parcel, 
counting and floor scales to heavy capacity truck, livestock and rail scales. Headquartered in Kansas City, the company is uniquely positioned to provide full life services for its weighing products based on a nationwide footprint of skilled technicians. With more than 700 employees at our three main locations, we provide service and technical support around the world. Throughout North and South America and around the Pacific Rim, we serve every industry that weighs,” says John Griffin, Director of Operations.
Fairbanks came to Meridian in 1975 and currently employs 100 people. “We enjoy being located here because Meridian offers the very best of small town, middle America. Meridian and the State of Mississippi are very business friendly. Issues don’t often arise and when they do, the city, county and state agencies are very responsive. We belong to the chamber because it provides a collective voice for the business community. EMBDC is helping make our community a better place in many ways and that helps business,” continues Mr. Griffin.
Fairbanks Scales works closely with MCC Workforce because their biggest challenge is the availability of people with skills that are workforce ready. This workforce is essential to maintaining existing businesses and attracting new companies to the area. Everything you buy is weighed multiple times – the marketplace is great.
Fairbanks Scales, Inc. – Weighing Solutions for the World
Fairbanks Scales
239 69th Ave., Meridian, MS