Alex Manoogian
It all started at the end of the roaring '20s. That's when an Armenian immigrant, fleeing from a life of persecution in Turkey, landed on the shores of America. His name was Alex Manoogian.
The eldest son of a grain merchant, Alex spoke five languages — but none of them English. He settled in Detroit with nothing more than a suitcase and $50 in his pocket. Driven by his determination to survive and succeed, Alex took a job as a general laborer and pledged to bring his family here to give them a better life in the United States.
Alex was fired from his first job as a skilled machinist because he wasn't one — at least not yet. But he knew what it took to make a great machinist and acquired the skills he needed. He was an intelligent man with a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
He saved what money he could to buy a screw machine. Eventually, he invested in a few more pieces of equipment. With the automobile industry booming in Detroit, it was the perfect place for him to start a business. By 1928, Alex and two partners took the first initials of their last names and $5000 and set up Masco Screw Products Company.
Although the Great Depression years were difficult, in 1930 Masco got its first contract of $7000 from the Hudson Motor Car Company. From its humble beginnings in a small loft, Masco's annual sales soon exceeded a million dollars. In 1937, Masco was listed on the Detroit Stock Exchange.
Sales continued growing, and when World War II took center stage, Alex supported his new country by diverting some of his production to military needs, such as bomb fuses and other types of materials. Despite the many challenges that came his way, he viewed each one as an opportunity. He was always on the watch for new products to produce. Relentless in his pursuits, he built the Masco business little by little.
Read entire story at the company's website:
http://www.deltafaucetcompany.com/company/history/manoogian.html
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