CELEBRATING THE WAY THE WORLD WASHES
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Bradley is proudly celebrating our 100 year anniversary.
We invite you to scroll and explore our virtual centennial museum to learn more about our rich history, greatest milestones, and vision for the future.
A CENTURY OF PROGRESS
THEN
AND NOW
1921
Milwaukee Plant at 22nd and Michigan
Menomonee Falls Plant on Fountain Blvd
2021
BRIGHT IDEAS
IN ADVERTISING
ARTIFACTS
ROOFTOP NEON SIGN
Bradley Headquarters, Menomonee Falls 1964
BOX CAR LADDER
for unloading the train that ran alongside the original Bradley plant.
WASHFOUNTAIN MODELS
Promotional Ashtrays
c. 1930 – c. 1960
TRI-FOUNT SCALE MODEL
BATHROOM IN A BOX
Sales Demonstration Kits 1975
From the
Fountainhead
Company Newsletter 1963
BRADLEY WASHFOUNTAIN CO.
SOFTBALL TEAM
Team photo and jersey 1967
BRADVAN
Mobile Showroom c. 1980
PRODUCT
APPLICATIONS
Link Belt Company, Indianapolis, IN – 1928
American Radiator Cover Co.,
Buffalo, NY – 1929
Playground, Milwaukee, WI – 1929
British Empire Service League,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Electric Controller & Manufacturing,
Cleveland, OH – 1955
Armco Steel Corp,
Middleton, OH – 1957
Bois Fontaine Building,
Quebec City, Quebec – 1962
Douglas School,
Atlanta, GA – 1968
Georgia State University
INFLUENTIAL
FIGURES
LOUIS SCHLESINGER
LOUIS SCHLESINGER
1921 – 1927
A successful businessman and inventor purchased a lavatory patented from a local businessman Harry Bradley. Louis took the patent, partnered with Gustav Grossenbach and Howard A Mullett, and started Bradley Washfountain Company. He named the one-piece lavatories of precast concrete “washfountains”.
GUSTAV GROSSENBACH
GUSTAV GROSSENBACH
1921 – 1940
A German immigrant who worked his way to the United States. Gustav earned a position and rose to the top of the executive staff and onto the board of directors at Milwaukee Mechanics’ Insurance Company, invested into Bradley Washfountain Company at the age of 70.
HOWARD A. MULLETT
HOWARD A. MULLETT
1921 – 1941
The son-in-law of Gustav Grossenbach and one of the three business partners, Howard became president of the company in 1928. During the Great Depression, Howard had a small crew keeping the business alive. He served as sales manager and hired Bradley’s first plumbing rep in 1935.
ELIZABETH WETHERELL
ELIZABETH WETHERELL
1924 – 1953
After seeking a temporary position, Elizabeth worked her way up through the company and became the first female president of a Wisconsin company.
HOWARD G. MULLETT
HOWARD G. MULLETT
1937 – 1979
During his time, Bradley had the biggest company growth by adding more products, hiring more employees, and expanding the business domestically and internationally. Many at Bradley say it was Howard’s outgoing personality that created the warm, upbeat, and almost magical spirit that defines the company’s culture to this day.
DON MULLETT
DON MULLETT
1968 – Current
The fourth generation of the family and longest active employee, Don has guided Bradley through thick and thin for over 50 years. His passion for growing the business led Bradley to new markets, cutting edge technologies and market changing products. He has always been committed to Bradley being a good place to work and a company with a future.
ROBERT "BOB" LARSON
ROBERT “BOB” LARSON
1951-1996
Bob started as a machinist before successive promotions to turret lathe operator, tool and die machinist, machine shop and tool room foreman, and finally, to Research and Development lab supervisor. He was an inventor, a United States patent holder, and a dedicated Bradley employee for 45 years. Bradley named their auditorium in his honor in 1996.
KLAUS FROMME
KLAUS FROMME
1979 – 2010
Another German immigrant, Klaus was known as Mr. Solid Surface. Developer of the Terreon® Solid Surface material, which won an International Cast Polymar Association Pinnacle Award for the ‘Most Innovative Application’.
AL MITCHELL
AL MITCHELL
Alexander Mitchell & Associates (currently Robco Specialties)
Started as Bradley’s first plumbing rep in 1935 and grew a relationship that would span nine decades and multiple generations.
BOB HUGHES
BOB HUGHES
1972-1994
Had the idea of painting all the emergency fixture products an unmistakable, easy to spot bright yellow. Today all of Bradley’s safety showers or eyewash stations can be seen far across a factory floor.
JOHN GAGAS / JON VAN KEMMEN
MOLDING EXPERT / ENGINEER
JOHN GAGAS
1990-1997
JON VAN KEMMEN
1971-1992
In 1990, designed and developed the first portable eyewash called KleerSight. Its successor, the Model 921, has been a staple of Bradley’s emergency fixtures line ever since.
MILESTONES
HOWARD A. MULLETT
The first of several generations of family leadership, Howard A. Mullett is appointed president of the company.
THE NEW SHOWER
The washfountain proved that group handwashing from one fixture saved time and space. It made perfect sense that the same concept would work for showers. With the introduction of its first group shower, Bradley begins the first of many product line extensions.
WWII
Bradley added second & third shift to make bomb casings for war dept. on the brand new 900-ton hydraulic press while the plant still made Washfountains on first shift.
HOWARD G. MULLETT
Howard G. Mullett is appointed president of the company.
NEW HQ
Having outgrown its existing facilities in Milwaukee, Bradley moves to a newly constructed 120,000-square-foot headquarters and plant in nearby Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
ACCESSORIZING
Eager to provide a more complete washroom package, Bradley acquires the D.J. Alexander Company in Moorestown, New Jersey on May1, 1968. This company's broad line of washroom accessories and preassembled wash centers is a natural complement to Bradley's other modular plumbing fixture lines.
BRADTECT
Bradley begins manufacturing emergency fixtures and develops BRADTECT safety yellow coating for improved visibility during an emergency.
DONALD H. MULLETT
Donald H. Mullett, fourth generation of the family, becomes president of the company.
Bradley introduces the Accu-Zone™ infrared touchless metering control system. Accu-Zone™ revolutionizes the functionality and efficiency of washrooms and responds to a host of contemporary environmental issues. The first product application for this innovative technology is the Futura™ "no-touch" faucet line.
A LAVATORY SYSTEM
Based on requests for a light commercial group handwashing fixture, Bradley invents the very first lavatory system-- a totally new concept in group handwashing. It is named the Express Lavatory System because it is quick to install. It is made of a new solid surface material, called Terreon.
PARTITIONS
Bradley purchases the Mills Corporation, the Midwest’s largest manufacturer of metal toilet partitions in a move which further expands its offering of commercial washroom products.
MIXING VALVES
Bradley introduces Navigator Thermostatic Mixing Valves, which are single-valve systems for high-low, standard, and emergency fixtures. Bradley moves into uncharted territory by promoting TMVs for emergency fixtures before there are regulations to that effect.
FREQUENCY™
Bradley invents the multi-level Frequency™ lavatory system, which represents yet another innovation in multi-user plumbing fixture technology.
NDITE®
Bradley’s innovation team launches the industry’s first lavatory system powered only by room lighting. The ndite® technology is well received and is the first item specified in Wal-Mart “Green Store” prototypes which are covered by the national press.
VERGE LAV SYSTEM
Bradley develops elongated trough-style basins in Evero material.
MIDWEST TO MIDDLE EAST
Bradley opens first sales office in the Middle East. 430 sq. ft. in the Dubai Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone, UAE. Managed by Mohamed Barakat. New Dubai office hosts Grand Opening in November.
ON THE VERGE
Bradley launches the Verge with WashBar and OmniDeck with WashBar.
SOAP IN STYLE
Bradley launches matching Verge Faucet/soap line.
LOOKING
FORWARD
To learn more about Bradley and our Products please visit, Bradleycorp.com
© 2021 Bradley Corporation