Jim Krumwiede and the employees of C-Line products in Mount Prospect, Ill., have a lot to celebrate. The company Krumwiede’s grandfather started in 1949 is celebrating its 60th anniversary this coming year.
It all began in 1949, when four manufacturers’ representatives in the office supply industry purchased a small manufacturing department and called it The Chicago Desk Pad Co. Elmer Krumwiede, the company’s founder, was an aggressive sales and marketing force for the company. Under his direction, the business began to flourish.
The year 1953 brought Bob Krumwiede and another acquisition allowing the manufacture of sheet protectors, shop ticket holders and other plastic products. Growth necessitated a move to Harwood Heights, Ill. In 1959, the company introduced one of its many signature products, the “Hello my name is” pressure-sensitive name badge.
In 1966, the Chicago Desk Pad Company became C-Line Products, Inc., allowing for continued growth into other areas besides desk pads. “The 60’s and 70’s were a period of tremendous growth for us,” said Jim Krumwiede, president and chief executive officer. “We added several new items and began to expand our warehousing and manufacturing capabilities”. That expansion included a new corporate office in Des Plaines, Ill., a distribution facility in Hayward, Calif. (now Sacramento), and a second manufacturing facility in Waco, Texas.
In 1980, another C-Line signature product made its debut – the first ever Polypropylene Top Loading Sheet Protector in the United States. Sales tripled during this decade as the company focused on providing superior customer service and enhanced product marketing. In the 1990’s, C-Line achieved its industry leadership position in customer service, with first order fill rates exceeding 99.8 percent.
“We take pride in our ability to meet our customer’s needs in a timely fashion,” said Krumwiede. “We have one of the highest fill rates and quickest order processing times in the industry, and our customers appreciate the extra effort that we provide. It’s quite an accomplishment to be a player in the office products market for 60 years. Our customers know that C-Line has been in business for a long time and that we’ll continue to serve their needs into the future.”
More recent product innovations include the 2004 introduction of C-Line’s first Antimicrobial Protected Top Loading Sheet Protector, and in 2008, the first Biodegradable Top Loading Sheet Protector.
