The history of St. Johnsbury, Vermont is inextricably linked to the Fairbanks family, and to the Fairbanks Scales company that began here in 1830. Today, Fairbanks Scales is still a strong presence in the St. Johnsbury community, and is a thriving business, manufacturing up-to-date versions of the weighing instruments on which the company was founded.
The company has a large manufacturing plant in St. Johnsbury on Route 2. “We have about 110 employees here in St. Johnsbury,” says Bill Webb, Director of Operations. “We produce 30,000 scales each year.” In St. Johnsbury, the plant manufactures stainless steel enclosures and printed circuit boards, and they assemble scales on site as well.
Almost all Fairbanks scales are manufactured for industrial use. The products range from scales that weigh (to name a few): livestock, parcels, trucks, railroad trains, and of course, humans. The company even makes scales that weigh items while they are in motion."We value our relationship with the St. Johnsbury area,” says Stasia Bristol, Human Resources Administrator. “We support many local organizations such as Rotary, the Caledonia County Fair, St. Johnsbury Academy, baseball teams, blood drives, and much more.”
“Our employees live in the St. Johnsbury area, so naturally, we want to be a part of the activities here,” says Webb. “We really value our long history in St. Johnsbury and want to keep those connections strong.” Fairbanks Scales is a sponsor of Summerfest in St. Johnsbury, and recently held a fundraising picnic for the Red Cross, for its work with victims of the July fire.
Says Webb, “Fairbanks Scales is alive and well and an active part of the St. Johnsbury community. We’ve been an important part of the town since 1830 and look forward to our future here.”

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