 In 1910, in a $200,000 deal between George Vits and the eastern capitalists, all offices and manufacturing were moved to Manitowoc.The company received its first government contract in 1911, winning an $80,000 contract to build aluminum canteens developed by Joseph Koenig for the army.Koening filed for a patent in April 1911 and was granted patent US1062716 in May 1913.