The Colson Company logo,
early 1900's.

History

In 1885 George Worthington, William Fay, and Fred Colson formed "The Worthington Company" in Elyria, Ohio. They made tricycles, invalid chairs, and wheel chairs. In 1910 Fred Colson (Secretary Treasurer of Worthington) purchased the company and changed the name to . . . "The Colson Company." He expanded product line to include hospital wheeled equipment & industrial material handling equipment.

In 1953, Chicago based lawyer/businessman Jay Pritzker & his 26 year old brother Bob, an engineer, bought Colson and eventually moved the manufacturing and management offices to Jonesboro, Arkansas. In 1964 Colson combined with The Marmon/Herrington Company, successor to the Marmon Motor Car Company, to form the Marmon Group. The Marmon Group of companies is an international association of autonomous manufacturing and service companies with collective sales of over $6 billion.

Fairy Tricycle designed by William Fay
around 1885.


Colson manufactured bicycle ridden by
Ronald Reagan and Dorothy Lamour
in 1920's.

The next few decades marked worldwide growth of manufacturing facilities, market share and capabilities for Colson Caster Corporation. Finally in 2002, Bob Pritzker purchased a majority interest in all of the worldwide caster companies that were member companies of The Marmon Group. He named the new company Colson Associates, Inc. Jarvis and Faultless Caster are the two latest additions to the Colson Associates family. And, today, Colson Associates is the largest manufacturer of caster and wheel products in the universe.

As a successful company of history, it is fitting for us to always look to the future. Colson brings a vision steeped in a thriving legacy to our customers, clients, and partners. It is an unparalleled legacy of product, service, and corporate responsibility. It is the legacy of a manufacturing company and its people.