Buford, Georgia Manufacturing History

Here at Jim Ellis Commercial Division, we’re proud to serve the community in Georgia and the Southeast United States! Our commercial division offers pickup trucks, vans, tow trucks, and flatbeds from automakers like Ford, GMC, Mercedes, and more! One of our locations is in Buford, Georgia, a remarkable city built on a rich history of American manufacturing.

We wouldn’t be where we are today without manufacturers like the Bona Allen Company, a leather manufacturer that dates all the way to 1873 and is credited with being one of the companies that turned Buford into the thriving city it is today! In tribute, our team has written up a guide to the Bona Allen Leather history below, so you can learn a little more about Buford, Georgia manufacturing history and information.

Bona Allen Leather History in Buford

At one point, the Bona Allen Company was the largest producer of leather goods such as shoes, saddles, and bridles in the nation! Let’s take a quick look at the history of the company and where it all began:

1873

It was founded in 1873 by manufacturer Bonaparte “Bona” Allen, Sr. after he returned from fighting in the Civil War. He established the company with the help of his wife, continuing his family tradition of working in the leather industry–his father Washington Allen was a tanner by trade. The Allen family had been established in Buford for many years before the Bona Allen Company was founded.

1903

The company was a great success, manufacturing horse collars and other fine leather goods, until a devastating fire destroyed their principal factory in 1903. However, they bounced back impressively quickly thanks to the integrity of the Allen name, which allowed them to secure bank loans and restart production.

1911

The company’s second factory, the Bona Allen Harness Factory, was built in 1911 and survived in Buford all the way until 2015 when another fire shut it down for good. The company branched out into shoes, groceries, and sports equipment, even owning a baseball team in the late 1930s!

1950

The Bona Allen Company survived the Great Depression with relative ease, providing stable work for thousands of workers in Buford even as other corporations fell by the wayside. In the 1950s, it became the company of choice for Hollywood actors to get saddles made for western films.

1986

After the 1968 death of John Allen, the last surviving son of Bona Allen, Sr., the factories became the property of the Tandy Corporation, a Fort Worth-based leather manufacturer founded in 1919.

1981

The Tandy Corporation continued to produce leather goods using the Bona Allen Company name until 1981 when another fire devastated their principal tannery and dissolved the remains of the legendary company. The Bona Allen Company may not be around anymore, but it left an indelible mark on Buford and has easily secured a place in American leather manufacturing history!

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