BOBRICK WASHROOM EQUIPMENT, INC.

G.A. Bobrick conceived the idea of the first liquid soap dispenser and was awarded a U.S. Patent for it in 1908. The Pullman Car Company later asked Bobrick to develop a soap dispenser for use in their railway passenger cars. The result was the first basin-mounted “Pullman” dispenser, which brought Bobrick a second U.S. Patent in 1912. These early inventions established Bobrick as a pioneer in soap dispensing equipment and set a new direction for our Company.

In the years that followed, many other soap dispenser models were developed. Greater awareness of proper sanitary standards in public washrooms, plus a rapidly growing construction industry, contributed to the increasing success and acceptance of the soap dispenser idea.

Today, Bobrick serves U.S. customers from three locations: the Corporate Headquarters and main plant in North Hollywood, California, plus manufacturing, customer service facilities and distribution centers in Clifton Park, New York, and Jackson, Tennessee.

By the 1920’s, Bobrick had sold some 250, 000 soap dispensers throughout the United States, and the Company’s two-page catalog listed a dozen models.

Wall-mounted Liquid Soap Dispenser

By 1941, Bobrick had expanded from the original 3, 500 square foot plant to a 7, 200 square foot plant with 30 employees. More than a million Bobrick soap dispensers were already installed in commercial buildings, schools, and other institutions around the country, and the Company had introduced more “firsts, ” including the first wall-mounted dispenser, the first lather dispenser, and the first 40 fl. oz. tank-type soap dispenser.

World War II demanded new adjustments as the country’s industrial effort was directed toward the war. Bobrick responded with “Victory” model soap dispensers that conserved critically needed materials. In addition, Bobrick directed a major portion of its manufacturing facilities and engineering skills to the production of essential aircraft parts for such companies as Boeing, Convair, Douglas, Lockheed, Northrop and Bendix.

By 1956, the Company’s 50th year, Bobrick offered a four-page, two color catalog of soap dispensing equipment which was being sold throughout the United States, primarily in the sanitary supply market. In the late 1950’s the Company undertook an emphasis on product expansion and development geared to the needs of the architectural and new construction markets.