Van Dyne Crotty
Encyclopedia
Van Dyne Crotty Inc. was a textile
leasing company in the United States
, trading from 1935 to 2006. Founded by Lloyd Van Dyne and Fergus Crotty, on January 1, 1935 during the height of the Great Depression
, the company grew from a $500 loan into one of the premier privately owned uniform companies in the United States.
, Delco
Products, Frigidaire
and the numerous tool and die shops that supported the automotive manufacturing industry in Southwest Ohio
.
The company thrived in the area, which was often called "Little Detroit" due to Charles Kettering
who had invented the automobile self-starter and held numerous patent
s at NCR for the cash register.
General Motors
could not persuade Patterson to move to Detroit so they built numerous plants around him in the Dayton
area, which later evolved into DELCO (Dayton Engineering Laboratory Company).
, pop top beverage cans, the ice cube tray and the step ladder, just to name a few. The partners were in the right place at the right time. Dayton needed the service the pair provided and the business grew steadily.
Van Dyne Crotty grew geographically throughout Ohio, and additional products were introduced such as glove renovation which proved to be profitable because heavy industry calculated that it was less expensive to clean gloves than to buy new ones for the manufacturing process.
Van Dyne Crotty is also credited as being the first company east of the Mississippi River
to rent an entrance mat, also known as a "walk off mat," which has since grown into a multi-billion dollar industry of itself.
Lloyd Van Dyne died in the early 1960s. Fergus Crotty, who at the time of his retirement had left or sold the company to L. William Crotty and Frank Crotty, headed the company after his partner's death.
of Van Dyne Crotty Inc, which this article is written about.
L. William Crotty would become the catalyst to lead the company into its next era of growth. L.William began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps as Drill instructor at Parris Island, SC and then upon his return he graduated from the University of Dayton
.
L. William led the company by example working in all areas of the company. He rewarded his employees for performance and always promoted an anti-union work environment where people were treated fairly. One of his favorite sayings to his associates was "inch by inch is a cinch...mile by mile is a trial".
L.William grew the privately held company from an estimated $5 million per year in sales revenues to $90 million. During this time the third generation of Crotty's were being raised in the company, and would eventually help shape the textile leasing industry.
Daniel Crotty would become President of Van Dyne Crotty in the mid 1990s and then grow the company to roughly $115 million per year in annual revenues; his brother Kevin Crotty was Vice President of Operations, and Robert Crotty Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Van Dyne Crotty was noted industry-wide as being innovator in new product offerings that would grow the entire industry, as well as setting the industry standard for customer service.
Perhaps one of the greatest legacies from Van Dyne Crotty,Inc was the creation of the Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at The University of Dayton School of Business Administration. Ranked as one of the top programs in the country for students who want to learn how to start their own business.
Van Dyne Crotty was sold in February 2006 to publicly-traded Cintas Corporation
.
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
leasing company in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, trading from 1935 to 2006. Founded by Lloyd Van Dyne and Fergus Crotty, on January 1, 1935 during the height of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the company grew from a $500 loan into one of the premier privately owned uniform companies in the United States.
Establishment
Van Dyne and Crotty began their business by renting industrial shop towels to full service gas stations, manufacturing plants like NCRNCR Corporation
NCR Corporation is an American technology company specializing in kiosk products for the retail, financial, travel, healthcare, food service, entertainment, gaming and public sector industries. Its main products are self-service kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, automated teller machines, check...
, Delco
Delco
Delco may refer to:* Delaware County, Ohio* Delaware County, Pennsylvania* Delco, North Carolina* Delco Electronics...
Products, Frigidaire
Frigidaire
Frigidaire is a brand of consumer and commercial appliances. Frigidaire was founded as the Guardian Frigerator Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and developed the first self-contained refrigerator in 1916. In 1918, William C...
and the numerous tool and die shops that supported the automotive manufacturing industry in Southwest Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
The company thrived in the area, which was often called "Little Detroit" due to Charles Kettering
Charles Kettering
Charles Franklin Kettering was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and the holder of 186 patents. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research for General Motors for 27 years from 1920 to 1947. Among his most widely used automotive inventions were the electrical starting motor and...
who had invented the automobile self-starter and held numerous patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s at NCR for the cash register.
General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
could not persuade Patterson to move to Detroit so they built numerous plants around him in the Dayton
Dayton
Dayton is a city in Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, United States.Dayton may also refer to:-United States:*Dayton, Alabama*Dayton, California, in Butte County*Dayton, Lassen County, California*Dayton, Idaho*Dayton, Indiana...
area, which later evolved into DELCO (Dayton Engineering Laboratory Company).
Growth
The areas that Van Dyne Crotty operated in boasted of having more patents per capita than any other region in the United States. Some of the inventions patented in their home town were the airplane, the parachuteParachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
, pop top beverage cans, the ice cube tray and the step ladder, just to name a few. The partners were in the right place at the right time. Dayton needed the service the pair provided and the business grew steadily.
Van Dyne Crotty grew geographically throughout Ohio, and additional products were introduced such as glove renovation which proved to be profitable because heavy industry calculated that it was less expensive to clean gloves than to buy new ones for the manufacturing process.
Van Dyne Crotty is also credited as being the first company east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to rent an entrance mat, also known as a "walk off mat," which has since grown into a multi-billion dollar industry of itself.
Lloyd Van Dyne died in the early 1960s. Fergus Crotty, who at the time of his retirement had left or sold the company to L. William Crotty and Frank Crotty, headed the company after his partner's death.
Division
The company was at that point divided between the two brothers Frank who owned Van Dyne Crotty Company in Columbus, Ohio and L.William Crotty who became the CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Van Dyne Crotty Inc, which this article is written about.
L. William Crotty would become the catalyst to lead the company into its next era of growth. L.William began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps as Drill instructor at Parris Island, SC and then upon his return he graduated from the University of Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
.
L. William led the company by example working in all areas of the company. He rewarded his employees for performance and always promoted an anti-union work environment where people were treated fairly. One of his favorite sayings to his associates was "inch by inch is a cinch...mile by mile is a trial".
L.William grew the privately held company from an estimated $5 million per year in sales revenues to $90 million. During this time the third generation of Crotty's were being raised in the company, and would eventually help shape the textile leasing industry.
Daniel Crotty would become President of Van Dyne Crotty in the mid 1990s and then grow the company to roughly $115 million per year in annual revenues; his brother Kevin Crotty was Vice President of Operations, and Robert Crotty Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Change of focus
From the mid-1980s forward, the company’s focus was changed from being an industrial laundry to a uniform rental company. The marketing tagline was changed from "The Very Fabric of American Industry" to "First in Lasting Impressions" and finally into "Uniforms That Work".Van Dyne Crotty was noted industry-wide as being innovator in new product offerings that would grow the entire industry, as well as setting the industry standard for customer service.
Perhaps one of the greatest legacies from Van Dyne Crotty,Inc was the creation of the Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at The University of Dayton School of Business Administration. Ranked as one of the top programs in the country for students who want to learn how to start their own business.
Van Dyne Crotty was sold in February 2006 to publicly-traded Cintas Corporation
Cintas
Cintas Corporation , based in Mason, Ohio, is a publicly traded company that operates more than 400 facilities throughout North America. The company provides specialized services to businesses, including the design and manufacturing of corporate identity uniform programs, entrance mats, restroom...
.