PARKERSBURG - About 45 former Ames workers gathered Saturday at the City Park Pavilion for their annual Christmas party.

Bob Gilbert, who worked at Ames for 20 years in the maintenance department, said the group used to be open only to those who retired from the company but is now open to those who were working at any of the three locations when they closed.

"Ames was a part of the area for a long time," he said. "We don't want people to forget about Ames and the people who worked there."

Dan Cooper was personnel director worked at Ames from 1966 to 1996, first as assistant director of the personnel department and then was personnel manager after he worked there four years. He said there are many former workers who are eligible to be part of the retirees group.

"This was originally for Plant One retirees," he said. "We had 45 this year. This club is now open to everyone who worked for Ames. There are about 1,000 people living in the area who are eligible to come."

Gilbert said the plants operated by Ames began to close after the company merged with True Temper in 1999.

"Davisville was closed in 2000, Plant One in 2005 and Plant Two closed in 2004," he said. "They made those shovels from the time of the Civil War to the Gulf War."

Gilbert said the plants were best known for the folding field shovels made for the military. In fact according to the Ames True Temper Web site, Ames, founded in 1774, manufactured shovels mostly for much of its history. However, over the last 30 years, Ames acquired several companies to expand its product lines and geographical reach.

Gilbert said the group meets at noon on the first Saturday of March and September at Ryan's in south Parkersburg and in June and December at the City Park Pavilion.