The PERKO Story consist of many interesting pieces. They make up a modern day marine hardware success story that goes back over 100 years!
The story starts with Frederick Persky, who later became known as Frederick Perkins. He was a Russian immigrant who was schooled in Germany as a machinst and tool-and-die maker. Frederick came to the United States in the early 1890's and soon became employed as a machinist for E.W. Bliss & Company in Brooklyn, New York. In the early 1900's, he and a partner began operating a business, F. Persky & Company, Latern Manufacturer, out of the basement of his house.
In 1907, Frederick's son Louis joined him in the business, and together they enlarged both the product line and the manufacturing facilities. By 1912, they had seventeen employees and made a wide range of marine laterns and products.
The business continued operating until 1913 when Federick became president of National Marine Lamp Company, based out of Forestville, Connecticut. Federick and Louis left that company in 1916 and moved back to Brooklyn, New York, where they started Perkins Marine Lamp Corporation. Five generations later, PERKO is still a privately owned, family operated corporation, which is unusual in today's marketplace.
Perkins Marine Corporation was initally known as Perkins Marine Lamp, Inc. The original focus was on the manufacture of hand formed sheet metal products for the marine market. The first catalog was publishied in 1916, with a product line as diverse for its time as PERKO's catalog is today.
It included a full range of kerosene and electric laterns for small and large boats, ventilators, chart cases, signaling devices, mooring buoys, pumps and a variety of spare parts. These products, fabricated from brass, copper and galvanized sheet metal, began what was our ongoing reputation for producing high quality products. We still do some hand forming and soldering today, much as it was done in our early years.
In 1922, the "PERKO" trademark was instituted. Each new product (and there were many) utilized the lastest, sophisticated metal manufacturing technology and customers came to expect the highest standard of excellence from PERKO products.
The company name was changed to Perkins Marine Lamp and Hardware Corporation in 1932 to better reflect the growing line fo products being offered at that time.
The company enjoyed exceptional growth into the 1930's as our reputation for quality increased, and new manufacturing facilties were added. The original one story plant grew to five stories and six more building sunder the direction of Louis Perkins. By the time Frederick Perkins passed away in 1947, Perkins Marine Lamp and the PERKO tradenark had become a major factor in the fast growing marine industry.
Louis Perkins became president after Frederick's passing. In 1947, Louis's son, Marvin, joined the company. Expansion continued until they finally ran out of space in Brooklyn. Roy Hollenbeck came on board in 1960 to plan and coordinate the company's move to North Miami, Florida and oversee construction of the new facility. His extensive experience in manufacturing was instrumental in our successful move from a number of buildings to one large plant with all operations under one roof. Upon the passing of Louis in 1964, Marvin assumed the top responsibility and continued the growth and innovation that exists to this day.
Once settled in Florida, we established our own bronze factory. By 1965, a 47,000 square foot extension was completed and housing the sophisticated die-casting system that today produces zinc, bronze and alumnium products. PERKO is the only domestic, marine manufacturer producing die-cast bronze parts, well known for strength, uniformity and quality.
Fred Perkins, Marvin's older son, entered the family business in the late 1960's and quickly established himself as one of the marine industry's most knowledgeable authorities on navigational light requirments. In 1977, Perkins Marine Lamp and Hardware Corporation was changed to PERKO, Inc.