Page 13 - the Oakwood Register

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Gerstner from page 12
Downtown Dayton
& Sons earned a reputation for
quality from the start. The Wright
September 30, 2008
THE OAKWOOD REGISTER 13
redesigned and is emblazoned with
a laser emblem of the well-known
‘First Flight’ photograph. It’s very popular,” he said.
Leland took over
from 1962 until 1976.
Charlotte
and
John’s son, John H.
Maintaining
“Jack”
Campbell,
quality has always
became the third genbeen the number one
eration of the family
priority, a directive
to be involved, beginresponsible for estabning in 1976. Jack’s
lishing the company’s
son, John S. “Scott”
solid reputation. “The
Campbell, is the
tool chests were never
fourth-generation
built to be beautiful,
member of the family
but H. Gerstner &
to come aboard, curSons products have a
rently serving as vice
certain ‘look,’ and
president of operatheir inherent quality
tions. Scott’s wife,
Vicki, also works part Replica of the Wright Brothers tool chest re-released for has come to be appretime in the company’s the 100th anniversary of flight in 2006. Front is a laser ciated as a truly
front office.
etching of the famous “first flight” photograph. This ‘American’ product,”
small leatherette covered chest is a copy of the earliest to quote from the
And don’t look known machinist tool chest built by Harry Gerstner, company’s online hisnow, but generation founder of H. Gerstner & Sons. It is featured in tory.
five is waiting in the brochures beginning as early as 1913.
H. Gerstner &
wings. Scott and
Sons
remains
a small,
Vicki
Campbell’s
family-owned,
quality-oriented
children, 10-year-old Ian (Scottish Brothers purchased one of
for John) and 7-year-old Brenna Gerstner’s tool chests to use in business, employing just 16 peo(both students at E.D. Smith their bicycle shop. Contemporaries ple. Jack’s wife, Nancy, and his sisschool) have already been put to of Gerstner, the Wrights were ter Jane’s daughter, Amy, round out
work in the family business. working on the problem of flight at the six-member “Gerstner” family
During Gerstner’s 100th anniver- the same time the young Gerstner team currently running the compasary celebration in 2006, they were was establishing his company. For ny. After 102 years and four genergiven the job of putting stickers on the 100th Anniversary of Flight, ations of “swimming in nepotism,”
the outside of the special catalogue Gerstner & Sons re-released a H. Gerstner & Sons certainly
replica of the Wright Brothers seems to have found the secret to
envelopes.
chest. “We’re still making it,” said success – even in today’s challengThe chests made by H. Gerstner Scott Campbell. “It has been ing global economy.
Kneeling: Amy Ellis, business development manager. Second Row (LR) Vicki Campbell, bookkeeper; Scott Campbell, vice president of
operations; and Jane Campbell, customer service. Not pictured: Jack
Campbell, CEO/owner; and Nancy Campbell, CFO.