Charles W. Bilger, president of the Peerless Manufacturing Company, was born in Meriden, March 15, 1890. He acquired a public school education and afterward learned the machinists's trade in the employ of the Edward Miller Company, with which he remained for three years. He afterward worked with the Westinghouse Company and subsequently was connected with the Sears Roebuck plant, thus gaining broad experience along lines which have been of marked value to him since he has entered his present business connection.

The present company was reorganized on the 20th of April, 1917, as the outgrowth of the Peerless Tool & Gauge Company. The company employed no outside help at the start and the growth of their business in indicated in the fact that they now have ten hands. Their plant is all electrically equipped and contains two lathes, one milling machine, one planer and grinder, one cylinder grinder, one drill press, seven foot presses and five power presses. They make all their own tools and dies and gauges and are constantly adding machinery. The factory is unique in America. They manufacture tuning pipe for all known stringed instruments and also for the human voice. This was formerly made in Germany, but the patents of the Peerless Company insure a product which is a distinct improvement over the German. They also make tuning pipes for schoolrooms, chromatic pipes and are soon to begin the manufacture of harmonicas. The patents are all owned by the company and the entire output of the plant is sold to one concern who would use a still larger amount if it could be secured. The business is thus growing steadily and has already become one of the important manufacturing enterprises of Meriden. The other officers of the company are Ernest V. Peterson, who is the vice president, and Peter I. Sorenson, the treasurer.

In his political views Mr. Bilger is a democrat but has never been an office seeker, preferring to concentrate his time and efforts upon his business affairs, he is yet a young man, having but reached the twenty-eighth milestone on life's journey, but laudable ambition has carved out his career and unfaltering enterprise has enabled him to accomplish much, while the future undoubtedly holds still greater things in store for him.