January

Temco started production in late January 1946.  The facility was now available with equipment in place. Staffing requirements were easily met from a large supply of former North American Aviation  employees. The cream of the crop of these highly experienced employees were hired and were soon hard at work on contracts to build Fairchild F-24 personal aircraft and panels for C-82 aircraft.

Fairchild had contracted Temco to build 200 F-24 personal aircraft in addition to C-82 assemblies already ordered.  There were orders for conversion of military C-47s and C-54s into airliners and C-45s into small executive transports. Customers included Braniff and other airlines in the United States, Norway and South America.

March

Temco completes the first F-24 for Fairchild. On March 7, 1946 the first airplane to be manufactured by Temco rolled off the assembly line. Officials of the Company expressed satisfaction as to the appearance and workmanship in this first plane. Otto Witbeck, Superintendent of Final Assembly piloted the ship on its initial run. Mr. Witbeck paid the highest compliment to his workers by flying the airplane himself on its test run.

Temco complimented on KRLD program.  Company officials expressed pride and appreciation in the compliment extended to the Company by KRLD in a broadcast on Thursday March 7, 1946 at 4:00 PM. On this day Mr. Fritz Kuler made the following broadcast as part of the program of the “Spirit of 46”:

“ With war clouds rumbling in the not then too distant future, ground was broken in the late summer of 1940 for the great North American Aviation plant at Grand Prairie which was to become such a tremendous asset to the Allied war against Fascism.  Thousands of Texans were trained to build the fighting craft that were manufactured at the great plant….and when the war was over it was of great concern to many of us what was to become of the multi-million industrial plant that had risen from the prairie.  (information missing?)

April

In April, Globe Aircraft Corporation in Fort Worth contracted Temco to build 1,500 Swift personal aircraft. At this time Temco added to its leased area. The company then landed a contract to produce 14,000 popcorn vending machines, an order that was later increased to 27,000 units.

By the end of April 1946 TEMCO had a total employment of 592 people and a net worth of $375,000. Soon after the partnership was formed the need to incorporate was recognized. The Company name was officially changed to Texas Engineering and Manufacturing Company, Inc. By this time however the Company had already come to be known, unofficially, by the acronym, TEMCO, a name destined to become a familiar identification throughout the aircraft and electronic industries.

June

June 21, 1946 Temco receives new orders for C-82 assemblies.  The Fairchild Corporation of Hagerstown has awarded Temco an additional contract for one hundred bottom panels, cockpit enclosures and fins.  These sub-assemblies are used in the building of C-82 cargo ships for the Army and were one of the first items of production started at Temco.  According to Al Graff, General Superintendent, “ the work involved in the additional order would carry the production force to April of 1947.  The company was also modifying the interiors of thirty C-47 Military transport aircraft for commercial use by Pennsylvania Central Airline.  At this time Temco was also building fifteen hundred Swift airplanes.  The Swift program benefited greatly through the development of a motor run-up conveyer line designed by General Foreman, Eddie Hiler.  Work was also underway on the F-24 program.  A contract for 14,000 Serve-Yourself popcorn machines had been received and the machines were being produced. It was planned that at least one hundred would be completed daily by the month of July.  On Temco’s first Family Day open house, in June, visiting children and their parents consumed 5000 bags of popcorn produced by these machines.  There were now more than 1800 persons working for Temco, which started operation in December of 1945. From forty to sixty persons were being hired daily.

August

Only nine months after the company was formed, Temco employed 2,500 persons.  On a daily basis, the company was turning out one F-24, 15 Swifts and more than 100 popcorn machines; and additional business was pouring in.  There was a new order for C-82 bottom panels, cockpit enclosures and fins.  Trans-World Airline awarded Temco a million-dollar contract for the modification of 12 military C-54s for passenger use. Thirty aircraft conversions of all types had already been delivered, and there was a backlog of orders for 51 more. 

The company organized a General Products Division for handling production of such items as mailboxes, venetian blind clips, metal window frames and vending machines.

September

Temco was expecting an additional order for 1,000 Swift aircraft from Globe. 

October

In October the year-old company invited the public to an open house.

November

The glow of success was destined to turn to gloom, in November 1946 Globe Aircraft Corporation went into bankruptcy.  The Globe bankruptcy left TEMCO on January 1, 1947 with banknotes of more than $800,000, accounts payable of $875,000 and a capital deficit of $9,702.  All Globe Swift inventory, including 329 aircraft in various stages of completion, was frozen.  Suppliers began pressing for money that Temco could not collect.