| How It All Started: |
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Walter
E. Kelly came to Chicago in 1913, when he was just 15 years old. Eventually, he
became a manufacturing rep, building a business so successful it became one of
the Merchandise Mart’s pioneer tenants in the 1920s. He sold a general line of
Porcelier housewares—teapots, coffee drip pots, cups, plates—until one day
Sears requested a glass diffuser to cover light bulbs in its fixtures.
On
demand, Walter filled Sears’ order, and the Kelly family has been filling glass
orders ever since. |
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| Erie Glass: |
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| Pat
Kelly joined his father’s firm in 1959. He was 21, with a Georgetown education
and a stint as an army second lieutenant behind him. By 1962, the Kelly family
moved into LaSalle Street offices, and by 1965 they had opened a Pittsburgh
branch. The business, now known as Erie Glass, combined its East Coast
manufacturing operations with its Chicago business office to move into position
as a glass industry leader. Erie Glass had affiliations and customers
throughout the nation. |
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| The Kelly Group, Inc: |
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Casey
joined the firm in 1990. The economy and industry had changed rapidly, and the
Kelly family business changed to meet new demands. Incorporated as The Kelly
Group in 1992, the company moved into position as the industry’s leader in
short-run borosilicate glass orders. The Kelly Group used its vast experience
and reputation to become reliable suppliers of small, medium, and large orders.
Now,
The Kelly Group leverages its agility and experience to move into other niche
markets. Casey worked initially at the company’s Kelomex plant in Nogales,
Sonora, Mexico, where his family produced Tiffany-style stained glass lighting
fixtures. The Kelly Group has supplied Lava Brand Motion Lamps such as the
Millennium and Queen Size bottles. It is currently a leader in producing
plastic safety molds to cover service panels on streetlight poles. |
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