Brady Industries history

Brady's 1953 introduction of Blue Streak Release--an adhesive so effective that labels and markers could be dramatically increased in size without loss of adhesion--was another major step forward in Brady's labeling capability.

1955 Profits surpass the $1 million mark for the first time.

With the establishment of Brady Canada on the outskirts of Toronto in 1958, Brady moved into the international marketplace, which within 40 years would generate nearly half its annual sales.

Brady's new microscopic, fireproof component markers were being launched into orbit on Gemini space missions, and Brady had presciently seen the potential of the computer market as early as 1962 when it began selling computer-printable wire markers.

In 1969 it introduced Phodar, a method for manufacturing printed circuit boards using dry resist techniques rather than the traditional liquid resist method.

1971 Brady experiences a decline in sales for the first time since the wartime years.

By 1980, Brady had climbed past the $50 million sales plateau.

In 1984 Brady became a private/public hybrid when it sold 500,000 shares of nonvoting stock to avoid the estate taxes due when Bill Brady Jr.'s heirs inherited his stake in the company.

By the end of the year, Brady's international subsidiaries were accounting for 20 percent of the company's annual sales--the level at which they stayed for years, despite the addition of Brady Japan in 1987.

The Seton acquisition allowed Brady to supplement its traditional niche-focused sales and distribution network with blanket mail order sales through Seton's industrial catalog, which in 1988 alone reached eight million potential customers.

In August 1998, it purchased Brazilian label manufacturer VEB Sistemas de Etiquetas Ltda.

A new manufacturing facility was established in Penang, Malaysia, in 2002, while a second facility went online in China the following year.

2004 EMED Company is acquired for $190 million.

Sales in fiscal 2005 increased by 21.6 percent to $816.4 million while net income jumped to $81.9 million--an increase of 61.1 percent over the previous year.

During the year 2007-08 they received major orders for Aviation Support Services Division the company.

November 17, 2016: Brady expands into Los Angeles, California, Flagstaff, Arizona and Washington, D.C. markets.

April 24, 2017: Brady celebrates 70 years in Las Vegas with the debut of a new logo with the “Honestly Better” tagline, branding platform and charitable giving program “Brady Shines”