Bruske Products started as a dream.
At its heart, Bruske Products is truly a "mom and pop" business, having started in the back of a small shop by a couple of "kids" from the north side. With a background in sales with the Fuller Brush Company, Ed Bruske saw the need for brooms and brushes that were made to stand the test of time under extreme conditions - and there begins the story of Bruske Products and the Indestructible Bruske Brush.
In the beginning
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1952 Ed Bruske graduates from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL with a major in Business Administration and Marketing.
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1953 Bruske began selling door to door for The Fuller Brush Company in Tacoma, WA and then in Des Moines, IA.
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1956 Bruske started in the Industrial Division of The Fuller Brush Company south side.
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1961 Bruske is promoted to Midwest Regional Manager for Fuller.
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1968 Bruske obtains his pilot’s license and began flying his own plane to meet the demands of his growing territory.
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1970 Bruske was let go from Fuller along with the president and three of the five territory managers.
A New Career
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1972 Bruske Products began manufacturing Bruske Brushes in the back of a machine parts factory in Tinley Park, IL.
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1975 Bruske Products moved to a 10,000 square foot location across town.
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1977 Bruske Products partners with the Southwest Community Services, an organization that empowers individuals with diverse disabilities to maximize their development and independence.
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1982 Steve Schafer, son-in-law of Bruske, began working as an industrial salesman.
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1983 Bruske Products launches its retail division.
A Big Move
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1986 Bruske Products moves down the street to its current 30,000 square foot location.
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1987 Schafer begins running the retail sales division as National Retail Sales Manager.
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1995 Susan Bruske, daughter of Bruske, begins working at Bruske Products as the administrative assistant.
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1997 Schafer becomes Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Bruske Products.
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2000 Bruske sells the company to its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
Today
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2002 Bruske Products receives award for thirty years of contributing to the community from the Tinley Park Economic Commercial Commission.
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2012 Bruske Products receives award for forty years of contributing to the community Tinley Park Economic Commercial Commission.
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2014 Bruske Products establishes the Bruske retail showroom in the front lobby of the facility and celebrates forty-two years in business.
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2015 Steve Schafer is named President. Ed Bruske becomes the first Chairman of the Board.