1964–65 Volume 89 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

C B. NORRIS, Colorado '44 (right), president, and C L. NORRIS, Colorado '50, vice-president, standing in frontof their new ^'dream" Protexall plant in Galesburg, Illinois. (Photo courtesy of Galesburg "Register-Mail.")PHIS IN A UNIFORM BUSINESSNorris Brothers' Protexall, Inc., Galesburg, Illinois,Moves into U.S.'s "Most Modern Gai^ment Factory"THE SCROLL is grateful to Harold M. Holland(Knox-Dartmouth '99), long a faithful contributorto the magazine, for furnishing the materials forthis story. ED.'ftIT is a rare day that passes without a Phi seeingsome individual wearing an industrialuniform with the name of some firm or storeembroidered or imprinted upon it, but probablyonly a limited number of Phis know thata large percentage of these uniforms are madein Galesburg, Illinois, by Protexall, Inc., ofwhich C. B. "Kip" Norris (Colorado '44) ispresident and C. L. "Kayo" Norris (Colorado'50) is vice-president.In 1937, Earl Norris, the father of "Kip" and"Kayo," opened a garment business in partnershipwith Fred B. Coakley. This business wasunique in the field because it was devoted exclusivelyto the manufacturing of uniforms[244]upon which appeared the customers' names.This original plant had eight employees.The business has grown and the number ofemployees has multiplied ten-fold since thecompany's pioneering days. In May, 1964, Protexall,Inc., moved into a new "dream" plant inGalesburg, said to be "probably the most moderngarment factory in the United States." Withina short time officials of the company predictthat a minimum of 130 workers will be needed.Size, however, is not the primary interest ofthe Norris Brothers. "We are not striving to bethe largest garment manufacturing company,but we are aiming at the best service and qualityavailable," one of the brothers declared.The name Protexall is a registered trademark,a unique identification of a pioneer onepiecegarment which protected a worker's entirebody—thus the name Protexall (Protects-All).(Continued on page 246)