 In
1913, A.C. Brown invented a cartridge that laid the cornerstone
of The Chicago Faucet Company. This major breakthrough in
faucet design was the patented Quaturn cartridge. The replaceable,
completely self-contained cartridge was revolutionary in its
ability to turn water flow off from full flow with one-quarter
turn of the handle. Also unique was the way the cartridge
closed with the flow of the water rather than against it,
reducing washer wear and virtually eliminating drips. It was
noteworthy that the cartridge was replaceable and interchangeable
with other Chicago Faucets products. The Quaturn cartridge
became the standard of reliability, durability, and value
as a result of Chicago Faucets commitment to standardization
and renewability of parts. The Quaturn cartridge has been
updated over the years to incorporate new technology and materials,
but is still interchangeable with any Quaturn manufactured
since 1913.
As the country and the city of Chicago grew, so too did
Chicago Faucets; they moved to a larger facility in 1915.
In addition to manufacturing and selling faucets, the company
created a dominant niche as a supplier of faucets and valves
to plumbing specifiers and commercial maintenance engineers
in the Midwest. Even in those days, Chicago Faucets cultivated
its reputation for customer service, often delivering product
to customers by horse and wagon.
Reacting to the needs of the market in the early 1920's,
Chicago Faucets chrome plated fixtures gradually replaced
the more traditional porcelain handled fixtures. Concurrently,
the city of Chicago was undergoing an unprecedented building
boom. New factories, office buildings, theatres, hotels,
and homes were being constructed at record rates. Chicago
Faucets expanded manufacturing capacity in the late 1920's
to keep up with the explosive demand for its products.
New construction stopped abruptly with the onset of the
Great Depression. Chicago Faucets, like most other firms,
was hit hard during this time; however, the company reacted
not by closing its doors, but by significantly reducing
its work week to as few as two days per week. The company
struggled to find bits and pieces of replacement business
wherever possible. The tide began to turn in 1933 when Chicago
staged the Century of Progress World's Fair. Chicago Faucets
was an exhibitor and received national recognition for its
quality. Orders picked up as a result, and the company grew
along with the rest of the nation as the economy gradually
strengthened through the late 1930s and into the early 1940s.
During World War II and the Korean conflict, Chicago Faucets
converted to the production of war related products, such
as, nuts, bolts, screws and parachute hooks. Many of the
company's employees either enlisted or were drafted into
the Armed Forces. It was 1953 before operations returned
to normal. The postwar building boom led to prosperity,
and in 1961, a new, much larger facility was built in suburban
Des Plaines - within minutes of O'Hare International Airport.
Significant expansions have taken place in every decade
since.
July 2002, the Geberit Group acquired Chicago Faucets.
The Geberit Group, a 125 year-old company headquartered
in Jona, Switzerland, is a European market leader and global
provider in the area of plumbing technology. The company
employs a staff of approximately 4,600 worldwide. The Geberit
Group chose to rename its U.S. division, The Chicago Faucet
Company. The Chicago Faucet Company headquartered in Des
Plaines, Illinois. employs over 500 people in operations
located in Des Plaines, Milwaukee, Cleveland Michigan City,
Indiana and Huntsville, Alabama and is one of only four
U.S. producers of permanent mold, yellow-brass castings.
 Over
the years, new products and new markets kept the Chicago
Faucets growing. Today, one hundred years after A.C. Brown
opened his shop on Chicago's West Side, his spirit lives
on in the hundreds of Chicago Faucets employees who every
day seek to meet customer needs with innovative high quality
products. The company remains a leader in supplying fittings
for the commercial, laboratory, food service, safety equipment
and residential markets. With the acquisition by The Geberit
Group, Chicago Faucets also expanded its residential product
offering via the Geberit Manufacturing Division, located
in Michigan City, Indiana.
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