Brady

Brady's first products were promotional calendars, painted signs and point of purchase displays. The company survived the Great Depression by producing hundreds of millions of push cards: small paperboard cards with rows of perforated circles concealing numbers, which fitted into Brady's established business of printing, die cutting and laminating.

1940s—During World War II, Brady developed the wire marker card - numbered cloth strips on an adhesive card. These strips could be used by electricians and assembly workers by wrapping them around electrical wires, creating a numbering system to identify components.

1950s & 1960s—Brady moved to Milwaukee, in an era of sustained growth. Brady became known as a specialist in identification materials, improving its existing products and developing new ones. In addition to new products, the company developed proprietary machines that could laminate, die cut, print and cut to length in a single operation, boosting production volumes and reducing costs.

1970s—Having sold their products through distribution and mail order since 1947, the company in 1970s established subsidiaries in England, Belgium, Germany, France and Australia. By 1980, international subsidiaries accounted for 20 percent of sales.

1980s—In 1981, Brady acquired Seton, a direct marketing business that sold nearly identical products. Seton's catalog mailings rose from 1 million in 1981 to 8 million in 1988 and in 1985. Subsidiaries were established in England, Canada and Germany by 1988.

1990s—Product lines evolved with developments in technology. The company introduced printing systems enabling customers to print their own safety signs, labels and identification products on-site. Software, along with printers, scanners and bar code labels introduced automatic identification and data collection. New high-performance materials were developed for circuit board manufacturing, and mobile phones opened a new market for the company's die-cut products.

2000s—Was a period of growth through acquisition. More than 35 acquisitions led to a tripling in size between 2003 and 2010.