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Born in Surrey, England, Cyril F. Greenhill came with his family to a farm on the Canadian prarie. As a teenager, Cyril went to Banff, Alberta a resort town in the Canadian Rockies, and got a job as a pack train guide. For his efforts he recieved $75 a month plus room and board. A Banff hotel guest who was struck by the 19 year old's ability and ambition invited Cyril to return to Toledo with him.
C.F. Greenhill arrived in Toledo in early 1913 he immediately took a $5 a week job at the Ohio Electric Car Company. Within two months, however, the car company closed its doors and Cyril was jobless. Fortunately, he had met a member of the Acklin family and was offered a job sweeping the plant's floor. Greenhill accepted and began work the day after Thanksgiving, 1913 for 11 cents an hour. During the next twelve years Cyril climbed his way up the management ladder working nearly every job in the plant along the way -- moving up to press operator, then die setter, machine shop worker, time keeper, shipping clerk. From there he crossed over into management becoming an office boy, and then movied to production control and into purchasing.
When the Acklin Stamping plant moved from its Dorr Street location to Nebraska Avenue in 1925, Greenhill became a general superintendent, then a salesman under Harold Jay, and eventually, by the early 1930's Sales Manager. In 1936 Greenhill was named Vice President in charge of Sales, and in 1939 was named to the Acklin Board of Directors. When W.C. Acklin died late that same year the company's business holdings went to Greenhill along with Frank Graper and Mr. Beeman. Greenhill maintained his Vice Presidency under Frank Graper, and when Mr. Graper died in 1944 Greenhill took over the presidency.
Greenhill's Presidency marked a unique time in Acklin's history. The employees, union, and management worked together for the good of the company as a whole. There was a sense of family and unity across managerial lines present at Acklin during his tenure that would be hard to find in years to come.
Following Tecumseh Product's merger and acquisition of Acklin in the early 1950's Greenhill stepped out of direct management, continuing to work behind the scenes on the company's board of directors. He retired to Floride in the early 1960s and passed away in May of 1991, at the age of 97.
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