Celebrating 100 Years of Success! The Newton Manufacturing Story
The Newton Manufacturing Company story starts in 1903, when George Newton moved to Newton, Iowa, to work at the Iowa Mercantile Store. While visiting Skow Brothers, a local foundry and machine shop, he noticed a box of matches spilled on the floor. A few days later, he returned with a sketch of a match box holder designed to hold matches on the wall to prevent them from spilling.
The Skow brothers took some stove pipe and produced the first "Safety Magazine Match Safe." Mr. Newton realized that the front of the Match Safe made a perfect spot for an advertising imprint. Orders started pouring into to Mr. Newton's downtown office from businesses looking to advertise by placing their logo on this modern day convenience.
In 1909, as business continued to grow, Mr. Newton and his partners moved to an old mill that had formally produced Wheat-O cereal. Later that year E.H. Maytag bought control of the company, resulting in much needed capital for Mr. Newton. On December 31, 1909, Newton Manufacturing Company was incorporated. Ownership changed over time and Clyde A. Peck becoming sole owner in the 1920's.
Over the next few decades, Newton Manufacturing continued to grow with the addition of new product lines and a sales force. During World War II, we produced war support materials including mess kits, work caps, and breech covers. In 1943, after an unfortunate fire to our factory, it was decided that Newton Manufacturing would cease our manufacturing operations and concentrate on growing as a national distribution network.
In 1948, Mr. Peck made stock available to a few close associates including his brother-in-law Dr. Sam Porter. Dr. Porter’s son, Dr. Samuel Porter, who, with his family, continues to own this stock, is currently a Newton Manufacturing Company director. In 1988, under the leadership of then president Mancil Laidig, a substantial block of stock was acquired and the Newton Manufacturing Company Employee Stock Ownership Plan was established. This plan continues to give our employees a share of ownership as a reward for corporate success.
Throughout our history, Newton Manufacturing has provided innovative solutions for businesses while building a reputation for premier service. We focus on combining quality products with effective marketing strategies to achieve our customers’ goals. "Our success is ultimately measured by the success and value our customers experience using promotional advertising," explained Lee Cochran, Newton Manufacturing’s president.
Our capabilities have continued to evolve in order to provide value to organizations large and small, including several Fortune 500 companies. Part of that value is our corporate services that allow organizations to set up an online store for employees to purchase promotional products for their daily business needs. These corporate services reduce client costs and overhead while ensuring a company’s brand integrity.
Our newest corporate service is a patent-pending program that improves employee performance by tracking, reporting, and rewarding achievement of job specific goals. This program establishes a clear line of communication between management and employees through monthly scorecards and management reports. The program has successfully driven down accidents and workers comp claims and has improved overall participant performance in the organizations that have implemented it.
Newton Manufacturing Company is committed to being an active citizen in our community and is proud to have employed multiple generations of Newton families. As an employee-owned company, each of our employee-owners share in the company’s success and can continue their presence in the Newton, IA, community.
With the dedication and creative ingenuity of our employees and a clear direction for the future, we are looking forward to the next 100 years of Newton Manufacturing. A foundation of innovation and service continues to drive our success today. With our experience, resources, and ever evolving capabilities, Newton Manufacturing Company is built to last.