A.W. CHESTERTON, a young man with a keen vision and business acumen, founded Chesterton & Company in 1884 in the Boston waterfront.
As a supplier of supplies to the steamship industry and machinery, A.W. Chesterton quickly identified opportunities to expand its offering and provide a wider range of products. This enabled customers to obtain the required auxiliary and operating materials quickly and easily. This special attention to product quality and customer support has always been the main focus of A.W. Chesterton & Company.
The early years
The early years of Chesterton were geared towards growth. In 1905, the company acquired the company “Ingall’s Boiler Cleaners and Wipers” and at the same time a nationwide sales network, which made Chesterton a national distributor.
By the late 1920s, Chesterton’s productive capabilities had progressed to the point where she was able to offer her customers her own brand of high-quality mechanical seals (glacier seals). Chesterton survived the Great Depression, and the company passed into the next generation. Dev and Tom Chesterton focused on helping their customers save time and money and run their operations more efficiently – a focus the company has maintained to this day.
In the late 1940s, Chesterton began marketing its products in Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Mexico. By the beginning of the 1950s, Chesterton had already developed into a globally active specialist retailer with a sales presence all over the world.
1960s and 1970: substantial growth
The 1960s and 1970s proved to be an era of substantial growth. By developing special lubricants, cleaners and thread sealants, the company expanded its product range, also to meet the ever-changing demand in the maintenance shops.
Later, the management of the company passed to Dick McDermott. Under Dick’s direction, the company developed the role of the Chesterton specialist, an expert in selecting, distributing and using Chesterton products. The focus of customer support has been expanded to include seminars and trainings. The Chesterton specialists and the training courses continue to support customers to this day.
During this time, Chesterton attracted the attention of the industry for many novel products. Some of these award-winning products include: The Super Graphite Seal, the 770 and 880 Mechanical Seals, and the 241 off-the-shelf Cartridge Mounted Double Mechanical Seals. In addition, the company presented the hydraulic SuperCup® seal and the self-alignment for mechanical seals (mechanical seals).
1980 to 1990: Decades of innovation
During the 80s and 90s, Chesterton continued to develop new products. The innovative split seals helped make the Mechanical Seals the company’s best-selling product line. Chesterton also introduced the award-winning “System One Pump”, creating an industry standard for maximum reliability.
In 1989, Dick McDermott retired from professional life, and Jim Chesterton, grandson of A.W. Chesterton, became president. Jim focused on expanding sales and improving operational capabilities. In 1992, Chesterton was the first seal manufacturer to achieve ISO 9001 certification for quality assurance, and in 1996 the first in its industry to be ISO 14001 registered with its operations in Ireland.
The economic climate of the 90s forced Chesterton to rationalize. The company sold the “System One Pump” business and closed various production facilities. At that time, the company also began to build up the ARC (Advanced Reinforced Composite) product line.
2000: A new century company – since more than 140 years
In 2002, the company was handed over to Dick Hoyle. Under Dick’s leadership, Chesterton restructured itself into the five main business areas it still operates today: ARC, Mechanical Packing, Hydraulic Seals, Mechanical Seals and Technical Products.
In 2009, Brian o’Donnell became the seventh president of Chesterton. Chesterton remains committed to offering innovative products, bundled with the service and knowledge required by customers. The company is becoming more and more performance-oriented, but still sees itself as committed to quality and product quality. As the company moves through its second century, Chesterton is showing itself to be the company its founder once imagined it to be.