The Forties: Clark Goes to War. Clark answered the call to arms at the start of World War II by converting their Columbus, Ohio plant to the production of war material in 1941. Instead of grave vaults, the plant turned out 500,000 155 mm shells, 50 million square feet of steel landing plates, 700 welded armor tank hulls, thousands of 5 inch rockets and disposable fuel tanks for airplanes. For its wartime efforts, Clark received the coveted Army-Navy "E" award from the US Defense Department. "We're proud of all of our accomplishments over the years," says Dave Beck, President of Clark Grave Vault Company. "But our war-time sacrifices were, to paraphrase Churchill, 'our finest hour'." The Fifties Through the Seventies: Innovation and Diversification. In many post-war American businesses, the battle-cry was "diversify". Clark heeded the							Custodian vault in 10 gauge steel. The exploration of new materials continued during the seventies, as Clark brought out the first stainless steel vault in 1974, with protection properties approaching those of its top-of-the-line solid copper vaults. The Eighties and Nineties: Rolling With The Changes. The eighties and nineties business climate brought unprecedented competitive pressures on businesses, and many of the more successful businesses reacted by overhauling their raw material sourcing and distribution strategies. Clark was ahead of the curve in 1989, as they began an eight year campaign to decentralize their shipping operation by opening a series of regional distribution centers. Then, in 1990, Clark took control of its own steel processing with the launch of CTL (Cut To Length) Steel, a separate division that marketed its services outside the company as well.
call in 1950, going into the stamping business for the automotive, appliance and railroad industries. The turbulent sixties and seventies brought more Clark innovation. In 1960, Clark introduced the first one-piece			1990: Clark's CTL steel division's state-of-the art processing machine goes on-line.