1901 NATIONAL HARADWARE IS BORN
On October 12, 1901, in Sterling, Illinois. Three men (William Benson, Louis Bittorf, Benjamin Washburne) purchase a two-story wagon factory and call it National Wagon Company.
When wagon sales begin to decline, the founders quickly switch to manufacturing hardware (adding Herman Bittorf as a fourth partner) and National Manufacturing Co is born.
1907 RAPID EXPANSION
National Manufacturing expands into a second factory in 1907.
At the same time, National continues to expand its product offerings, adding the new products each year. While barn door hardware remains a top seller, National Manufacturing works hard to create simple solutions for city-life and professional builders, introducing readily available metal shapes and angles.