History of Clippard
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The story of Clippard is multi-dimensional. There are many parts of Clippard's past that fit into multiple places in history, each impactful in a unique, cohesive way. It's a story of the entrepreneurial spirit, reinvention and ongoing growth of a family company, and how its people and products impact our world. Pride is another word that describes this 75-year-old company. Pride in being an American manufacturer, pride in maintaining a solid company culture, and pride in the quality products made by top-notch employees who seek to solve customer problems with innovative solutions.
"I have been approached daily on purchase or merger by many companies. I am not interested in this, knowing full well and being advised that to do so is the best way to get back the dollars and effort I have ploughed into it. I simply want to see if there still isn't room in this country of ours for an independent small company to exist and be successful."
—Leonard Clippard, 1967 letter to Mark Berliant
The Ohio-made brand has grown immensely since its inception and is known throughout the industry for creating the standard for miniature pneumatic products. Clippard products are used across the globe and in a variety of different markets. But while the name is big and constantly gaining recognition, the company itself feels small. Walk into the Clippard offices and you will instantly feel at home. Warm smiles, hearty handshakes, and stories—lots of stories. Stories of past employees who helped build the company, accounts of current team members and fun events, and tales of Clippard's ingenious founder. Through the years, the company has been able to maintain its small-business feel internally while making leaps and bounds in sales. Culture is a big part of the Clippard legacy, which aids in the company's success. All those involved in the process, from employees to distributors to even the community itself, are treated well by the team at Clippard Instrument Laboratory, as was the standard set by the founder.
From the very beginning, the desire for Clippard wasn't to be a big-name success or to make an ever-increasing profit, but to create an independent company with a product that benefits many while providing for the employees' families. That is the business of Clippard. The stories you read in the pages that follow are only a mere fraction of what has occurred since Leonard Clippard began making coils out of his home in 1941. The names mentioned and events, both good and bad, have molded the company into what it is today. These are the stories behind the quality people and quality products of the world's very first miniature pneumatic manufacturer.
