W. Bruce Chalmers Page 538-539 - W. Bruce Chalmers is another of the native sons of Kent county who are here making records of successful achievement in connection with business affairs of broad scope and important order. He is vice-president of the W. B. Chalmers Company, paving contractors, with headquarters at 232 Ottawa street, northwest, in the city of Grand Rapids. Mr. Chalmers was born at Algoma, this county, May 30, 1869, and is son of John and Eunice (Dooge) Chalmers, both now deceased. John Chalmers came to Kent county in the late 50’s, and here became a pioneer farmer. The passing years brought to him a goodly measure of prosperity and he was long numbered among the substantial exponents of farm industry in Algoma township. Both he and his wife were residents of the county at the time of their death. W. Bruce Chalmers early gained a full degree of experience in connection with the work of the home farm, and his educational advantages were limited to a somewhat brief and irregular attendance in the district schools of the home neighborhood. He was but twelve years of age when he began work in the great lumber woods of this section of Michigan, and he has been in the fullest sense one of the world’s productive workers. For nearly twenty years Mr. Chalmers has been actively identified with contract construction work, with residence and business headquarters in Grand Rapids. In 1916 he effected the organization of the present W. B. Chalmers Company, of which he is the vice-president and general manager, Edward Clark, president of the company, being individually mentioned on another page of this publication. Mr. Chalmers gives his personal supervision to all contract work into which the company enters and his company has made a record of large and successful proportion in the laying of high-grade asphalt street paving in Grand Rapids, besides having had contracts in other cities and towns of western Michigan. He is a loyal member of the Association of Commerce, is a member of the National Asphalt Association, and is affiliated with the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks. In the year 1907 was recorded the marriage of Mr. Chalmers to Miss Bertha E. Hoag, who was born and reared in the northern part of Kent county, where the Hoag family made settlement in the pioneer period. Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers have no children. They are well known in their native county and take great interest in all that concerns its welfare and progress. Mr. Chalmers is loyal and liberal in his civic attitude, is a staunch Republican, but he has had no desire for political activity or for the honors or emoluments of public office.

Transcriber: Nancy Myers
Created: 25 November 2002