The Eastern Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Connecticut
in October, 1912, succeeding a co-partnership established in October, 1858.
The business of the Company is the manufacture and sale of industrial hardware,
security products and metal products from six U.S. operations and seven wholly-owned
foreign subsidiaries. The Company maintains thirteen physical locations.
The Company operates in three business segments: Industrial Hardware, Security
Products and Metal Products.
Industrial Hardware
The Industrial Hardware segment consists of Eberhard Manufacturing, Eberhard
Hardware Manufacturing Ltd., Canadian Commercial Vehicles Corporation, Composite
Panel Technologies, Eastern Industrial Ltd. and Sesamee Mexicana, S.A. de C.V.
The units design, manufacture and market a diverse product line of industrial
and vehicular hardware throughout North America. The segment’s locks,
latches, hinges, handles, lightweight honeycomb composite structures and related
hardware can be found on tractor-trailer trucks, moving vans, off-road construction
and farming equipment, school buses, military vehicles and recreational boats.
They are also used on pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and fire and rescue
vehicles. In addition, the segment manufactures a wide selection of fasteners
and other closure devices used to secure access doors on various types of industrial
equipment such as metal cabinets, machinery housings and electronic instruments.
Eastern Industrial expands the range of offerings of this segment to include
plastic injection molding.
Security Products
The Security Products segment, made up of Greenwald Industries, Argo Transdata,
Illinois Lock Company/CCL Security Products, World Lock Company Ltd., Dongguan
Reeworld Security Products Ltd. and World Security Industries Ltd., is a leading
manufacturer of security products. This segment manufactures electronic and
mechanical locking devices, both keyed and keyless, for the computer, electronics,
vending and gaming industries. The segment also supplies its products to the
luggage, furniture, laboratory equipment and commercial laundry industries.
Greenwald manufactures and markets coin acceptors and other coin security products
used primarily in the commercial laundry markets, as well as hardware and accessories
for the appliance industry. In addition, the segment provides a new level of
security for the commercial laundry industry through the use of “smart
card” technology. Argo Transdata supplies printed circuit boards and other
electronic assemblies to Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEM”)
in industries such as measurement systems, semiconductor equipment manufacturing,
and industrial controls, medical and military markets.
Metal Products
The Metal Products segment, based at the Company’s Frazer & Jones
facility, is the largest and most efficient producer of expansion shells for
use in supporting the roofs of underground mines. This segment also manufactures
specialty malleable and ductile iron castings.
Typical products include mine roof support anchors, couplers for railroad braking
systems, support anchoring for construction and couplers/fittings for utility
(oil, water and gas) industries. Mine roof support anchors are sold to bolt
manufacturers while specialty castings are sold to original equipment manufacturers
or machine houses.
