William Pigott Sr.

William Pigott Sr. was an Irish immigrant and experienced pig iron salesman who founded Seattle Car Manufacturing Company in February 1905 with an initial investment of $10,000. He had previously been co-owner of a steel rolling company in Colorado and saw Seattle as a potential steel town. His defining decision was to manufacture logging equipment and structural steel for the Pacific Northwest's booming timber and railway industries. Pigott's resilience was tested in 1907 when a fire destroyed the company's Duwamish facility and a bank panic cancelled numerous orders; he responded by building a larger factory in Renton, Washington, by 1909. In 1917, he orchestrated the merger with Twohy Brothers of Portland to form Pacific Car and Foundry Company. In 1924, he sold control to American Car and Foundry Company.

William Pigott Sr. was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States, settling in Seattle in 1895. He was an experienced pig iron salesman and had co-owned a steel rolling company in Colorado before founding Seattle Car Manufacturing Company in February 1905 with $10,000 in capital. The company's early products were horse- and oxen-drawn logging trucks and structural steel for Seattle buildings. Pigott became the exclusive Pacific Northwest representative for Climax logging locomotives. In 1917, he merged his company with Twohy Brothers of Portland to form Pacific Car and Foundry Company. He sold control to American Car and Foundry in 1924. His son, Paul Pigott, reacquired a major interest in 1934 and transformed the company into a global truck manufacturer. William Pigott died in 1929, leaving a legacy as the founder of what would become one of the world's largest heavy-duty truck manufacturers.