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Are we the oldest manufacturer selling awards on the planet? 1870 to 2002 ... and counting! If not, at least we think you'll like our story.
NOT ENOUGH WOMEN!
Titusville, PA was the birthplace of the world's oil industry in the 1850s. It grew so quickly that the telegraph office at the corner near John D. Rockefeller's office became the predecessor to the New York Stock Exchange. (You can get a good feel for our beautiful Victorian town at BusinessTitusville.com.)
But every new industry creates havoc before it settles down. Forty-Niners returning from the California Gold Rush sometimes left Titusville because it was too rough. (You can read Paul Giddings' article on the early days of oil in the region at the Drill Shop Hall of Fame, or visit the Drake Well Museum.)
By 1897, the city fathers were so concerned with the oil town becoming a roughneck city, that they hatched a plan create more civility by attracting more women. To do this they needed to provide good jobs, so they advertised across the country, offering to build a plant for any business that would move to Titusville and hire women.
A BACHELOR TO THE RESCUE
Charlie Horn, who had founded the Charles Horn Silk Co. in Brooklyn around 1870, saw the ad. He was a bachelor with no ties, and took them up on their offer. My great-grandfather was his salesman, but we don't know if he played any part in the move, since he stayed in Brooklyn with the customers.
The train rolled into Titusville in mid-winter '97, and the looms were removed from the railroad cars, brought up to the new building by sled. My grandfather, Bill Steinbuhler, was a 22-year old mechanic who worked for Charlie, and my grandmother worked as one of the weavers. So I have Charlie to thank for my being here.
Since Charlie had no kids of his own, as he reached old age, he sold the company to four employees, one of whom was my granddad, who later bought out his partners. My dad and uncle ran the company until after World War II, when my uncle sold his share to my dad. Our kids are now getting involved, with my brother's son Chase now running the factory.
LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY
To keep a company thriving this many generations, you have to bob and weave, changing with the market demands, and that's what we've done.
Starting in the 1940s, we created our own needle looms, eliminating the need for half of the employees constantly filling bobbins on the shuttle looms. We designed and built our own dye machines. We quadrupled the processing speed of our looms to compete globally, and invented the process to package dye satin ribbon. We may still be the only manufacturers in the world who can do this.
We designed and built our own bow making machines, and can produce 2 million a day, along with 30,000 awareness loops a day. We designed the only automated machine in the world that starts with thread and outputs up to 10,000 finished neck ribbons a day in any colors and patterns you want, complete with grommets for your awards.
Over the years, we've made many things - bindings for ladies' shoes, belting for cardigan sweaters, tape for zippers, garment tape, and narrow and wide ribbons for clothing, hair barrettes, lingerie, bras, etc.
We produce both grosgrain and satin ribbon in hundreds of custom colors and patterns, and remain one of North America's largest manufacturers of remembrance ribbons and neck ribbons for awards.
Since the 1970s, when we changed our name to Horn Textiles, the GAAT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) treaties have sacrificed the American textile and garment industry, but we refuse to disappear, so we continually improve to serve the changing market.
- Horn Textiles remains one of America's few ribbon factories to competitively sell to textile manufacturers and jobbers (866-827-6431).
- We offer direct ribbon sales to end users through our Ribbon Factory Outlet, and
- Ribbon Factory Awards is the most customer service oriented direct manufacturer of custom awards on the planet.
Since our factory automation is near complete, my brother David now carries on the family tradition of creative engineering by perfecting Steinbuhler & Company Keyboards, custom manufactured at 7/8 scale for classical pianists with small hands to insert in Steinway grand pianos at home and on their concert tours.
WHAT'S THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE AWARDS YOU NEED NEXT WEEK?
My five-year focus has been to evolve the metal, printing and software technologies needed to create the world's most beautiful custom awards for you and your events. We invested part of the $5 million in
Catharon Software that has resulted in patented processes to automate our ability to customize each of your awards. And we continue to work with MutualGravity.com to streamline our communications automation.
We don't buy from sweatshops overseas. Every award is 100% made in the USA with pride and care. And when you call, you get me. My wife tells me I'm cute, but my customers tell me they don't care, because I respond - immediately!
So you can get a beautiful Steinbuhler Keyboard by contacting my brother, David, at 814-827-0296, or dskeyboards@tbscc.com. Or you can invest a whole lot less in the world's most beautiful custom awards. Drop me a note at jj@wholesalemedals.com, or call me at 800-957-1990.
We've served thousands of satisfied customers in the last 132 years, and we'd like you to be next.... And tell me what you think of our story.
Best wishes,
JJ Steinbuhler
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