Leaders in Family Enterprise: In Practice and Theory - David Tingue (MBA 92)

Lillian Tingue was upset with the finish on work from a commercial laundry. Her husband William J. Tingue, Jr., who was supplying fine quality felts to the piano and printing industries with partner William Brown, realized the problem could be solved by installing finer quality felt padding on the flatwork ironer. Though he'd presented the case for premium quality paddings to commercial laundries before - with no success - Tingue knew that if Mrs. Tingue was unhappy, he reasoned, then many other customers were probably just as unhappy. Tingue talked with the owner of the commercial laundry and he agreed to test the fine quality Tingue, Brown & Co. felt padding. By recognizing a market opportunity, knocking on doors and refusing to quit, he received the company's first order for "10 pads, White Felt", on April 1, 1902. Thousands upon thousands of orders later, Tingue, Brown & Co. still approaches each customer as a supplier of quality products and ideas that solve problems and create opportunities for increased profitability.

Today, Tingue, Brown & Co. is a leading global supplier of high quality commercial laundry products and dedicated services. Family-owned and operated since its founding in 1902, Tingue, Brown & Co. has earned a golden reputation for integrity, loyalty and ingenuity spanning four generations of Tingue family leadership.

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