T&S Brass and Bronze Works is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, marking its ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in commercial plumbing.

Founders George Theisen and Carl Spatt began by trying to create a better hair salon spray product. After hearing about an upcoming New Jersey state law that would require foodservice establishments to rinse dishes before putting them in dishwashers, they repurposed their product — and the market’s first-ever pre-rinse unit was born in a Long Island garage in 1947.

By 1950, the nascent T&S had designed a full lineup of plumbing products specifically for the foodservice industry. Three years later, T&S introduced another innovation, the foot pedal valve.

T&S continued to grow and innovate through the 1950s and 60s. A line of laboratory products, introduced in 1956, was heralded as “the best by test” for its widespread use in scientific applications. And T&S expanded into the commercial plumbing market with industrial-grade faucets.

By the mid-1970s, T&S was outgrowing its original facilities in Westbury, New York, and began researching a place to relocate. Theisen purchased property in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, and the company’s new 80,000-square-foot facility opened in the fall of 1978.

T&S’ South Carolina headquarters have undergone expansion in recent years, and a growing global footprint has also led to distribution facilities in California, Holland and Hong Kong and a manufacturing facility in Shanghai.

Over the past seven decades, T&S has cemented its role as the industry leader in providing reliable products for foodservice, plumbing and laboratory markets. The company has also established a reputation as a leader in manufacturing — earning the 2016 Silver Crescent, South Carolina’s highest manufacturing award; South Carolina Small Manufacturer of the Year in 2006 and 2015; and IndustryWeek Magazine’s Best Plants award in 2015.

T&S’ 70th year has been marked by the same innovative spirit that characterized its founding, including revamping its product design, introducing new products and leading the way in environmental stewardship with the addition of a field of solar panels in Travelers Rest.

Through it all, T&S has remained a family-owned and operated business. Claude Theisen, George Theisen’s son, leads the company, along with his sister Eva-Marie Fox, who serves as vice president of marketing. They are joined by the next generation of the Theisen family, who will help keep T&S a thriving company for decades more to come.

Visit the T&S Brass Infohub for more information on the history of T&S Brass.