On a spring evening in 1956, company president and founder Dick Meissner sat down in his garage to begin work on his first sewing contract. Phil Anthony of Anthony Pools had just given him his first order to produce the Anthony McIntosh filter bag. Working alone and at night, Dick laid the foundation for the company that has grown to become the largest manufacturer of swimming pool and spa filter elements in the world.
In those early years, residential DE filtration was in its infancy. As the market started to grow, Dick received additional sewing contracts, first from Swimquip, then from Landon, Pac-Fab, and Paddock of California. By 1959 this part-time venture had grown into a full-time business. The fledgling company hired two employees and quietly moved into a 2,000-square foot building in Van Nuys, Calif. Within one year the young company doubled in size and by 1962 it occupied 6,000 square feet and had five full-time employees.
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