Founder of Riverdale Mills achieved
long-lasting global legacy in wire mesh manufacturing and
aquaculture industries
Riverdale Mills Corporation announces with great sadness the
passing of company founder, owner, and retired CEO James Knott, Sr.
Mr. Knott was 88.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180818005024/en/
(Photo: Webb Chappell)
An inventor, entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist,
Knott established Riverdale Mills Corporation in 1980 –
transforming it from a startup with a single wire mesh product into
a manufacturing giant with more than 3,500 different wire mesh
product configurations for customers around the globe.
Great innovators make their mark by challenging the status quo
and finding new ways to do things better. James Knott, Sr.
unequivocally fit this category as a profoundly influential
innovator, whose products help millions of people.
Knott’s Aquamesh® revolutionizes lobster
industryFrom spending summers in Gloucester, MA, Knott saw
firsthand how much time and money lobster fishermen spent fixing
their wooden traps. He was convinced there had to be a better
way.
Knott set out to build a more durable lobster trap to keep
fishermen on the water making a living, instead of regularly
onshore repairing their traps or building new ones. He invented and
began manufacturing Aquamesh®, the first-of-its-kind marine-grade
coated wire mesh.
His innovative wire mesh lobster trap fished better and lasted
far longer than wooden traps – benefits that eventually won over
skeptical North Atlantic and Canadian Maritime fisherman. Today 85
percent of all lobster traps in North America are made with
Aquamesh.
Dr. Bob Bayer, executive director of the University of Maine
Lobster Institute said: “Jim Knott was a well-respected visionary
and an ardent supporter of the lobster industry. His impact cannot
be understated. The technical changes he introduced to lobster
fishing in Maine and throughout North America were profoundly
significant. He singlehandedly changed and bettered the way of life
for so many people.”
Knott was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science by the
University of Maine for his commitment to the future of the lobster
industry, innovative spirit, perseverance and positive leadership,
willingness to share his knowledge and ideas, and his outstanding
support of the university’s Lobster Institute.
Riverdale Mills – legacy of leadership in
manufacturingJames Knott, Sr. founded Riverdale Mills Corp. in
an old abandoned mill on the banks of the Blackstone River in
Northbridge, MA. There, he worked with his sons to restore the
facility and property, while beginning mass production of Aquamesh.
An integral part of the science leading to Knott’s innovative wire
mesh product was his proprietary galvanized after-welding and PVC
coating processes.
Following the overwhelming success of Aquamesh in the lobster
industry, Knott set out to expand and diversify the Riverdale Mills
product line for other industrial, commercial and business
applications.
His virtually impossible-to-climb-or-cut WireWall® high security
fencing is installed worldwide at embassies, transit centers,
ports, borders, military bases, manufacturing and power plants, and
other sensitive locations where perimeter security is a critical
safety and deterrent need.
His welded wire mesh is also used extensively by professionals
in the horticulture, agriculture, aquaculture, construction, and
water treatment industries.
After nearly 40 years in the wire mesh business, James Knott,
Sr. touched the lives of millions of people –starting with his
customers and including all the people who unbeknownst to them
benefited from his products with abundant lobster, perfectly
cultured oysters, and protection from security breaches. He had a
special place in his heart for his dedicated employees, many of
whom have been with Riverdale Mills for decades and admired and
respected his leadership and humanity.
Personal, Professional and Community LifeKnott’s vision
and creativity are evident in many aspects of his remarkable life
and inspiring career. He earned an economics degree from Harvard
College, studied mechanical engineering at Northeastern University,
and served two years as a lieutenant in the Army. Before starting
his own company, he was CEO of Coatings Engineering Corporation,
the world’s largest custom plastic coater. He was also a long-time
Director of the Gilbert & Bennett Manufacturing Company of
Georgetown, CT.
Knott was resourceful and an early adopter of recycling. To
build some of his manufacturing machinery, he repurposed parts from
a printing press the previous tenant of the mill had left behind.
When asked once by a journalist how his company had thrived when so
many other U.S. manufacturers had faltered, Knott responded
pointedly, “We keep our costs low.”
He also modernized the mill with efficiency in mind, restored
the natural habitat, tapped the river for hydropower, and
instituted recycling of all the steel from the manufacturing
process.
Knott was an ardent supporter of the lobster industry, funding
scholarships and research. He was also active in the communities of
the local Blackstone Valley and the fishing mecca of
Gloucester.
“With the passing of Jim Knott, the lobster and shellfishing
industry has lost one of its most prolific supporters,” said Beth
Casoni, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s
Association. “Jim believed in sustainable fishing and supported our
efforts to ensure the viability of the industry and conservation of
fish species. On behalf of the entire industry, we acknowledge his
contributions, are grateful for his involvement, and will miss him
tremendously.”
Predeceased by his cherished wife Betty, who died in February
after 67 years of marriage, Knott is survived by four children,
including James Knott, Jr., the CEO of Riverdale Mills since 2015,
and four grandchildren. Arrangements are forthcoming.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180818005024/en/
Riverdale Mills CorporationJane Meehan Lanzillo,
617-417-0078jmlanzillo@riverdale.com