PPAI President and CEO Steve Slagle, CAE, presents Newton Manufacturing Co. President Lee Cochran with an award during the distributor's 100th anniversary celebrations Tuesday.
In the past year of economic ups and downs, even the strongest and oldest companies in the U.S. have suffered setbacks, with some even closing their doors permanently. In the promotional products world, longevity is worth celebrating. Two companies that celebrate anniversaries this month reflect on what has given them staying power.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Bodek and Rhodes (UPIC: ULTRACLB) celebrates 70 years in business and has marked the occasion with employee celebrations and an open house at its Norton, Massachusetts, location.
“We are very proud to be a family-owned company, and to maintain this type of business, with the personal dedication to the customers for 70 years is a testament to every member of our Bodek and Rhodes family,” says Mike Rhodes, president.
Founded in 1939 by friends Ed Bodek and Harry Rhodes, the company has since grown to include five warehouses nationwide and more than 450 employees. Rhodes’s grandsons, Mike and Hal, serve as president and vice president, respectively, and their brother-in-law, Scott Seigal, is vice president of sales.
Newton, Iowa-based distributor Newton Manufacturing Co. (UPIC: NEWTON) is marking a century of success this week. On Wednesday, PPAI Chair Sherri Lennarson, MAS, along with PPAI President and CEO Steve Slagle, CAE, and PPAI Executive Vice President Paul Bellantone, CAE, will make a presentation to Newton's sales force.
Newton was founded in 1909 by George Newton as a manufacturer, producing the “Safety Magazine Match Safe” and other promotional items. In 1943, after a factory fire, Newton Manufacturing decided to concentrate on becoming a national distribution network.
“The key to our success and longevity is our ability to innovate and evolve with the business world around us to continue to deliver value to our sales representatives and their clients,” says Lee Cochran, Newton Manufacturing president.