Living the American Dream at Elbeco

By Susan Derby

Though Elbeco Inc. has had its share of names M. Lurio & Brother, Wide Awake Shirt Company, Lurio Brothers Company one thing that hasnt changed is its realization of the American dream. When Meyer Lurio came to America from Lithuania in 1879, he probably didnt know he would become a big part of a successful company, one that would endure to celebrate 100 years in business.

But Elbeco has done just that, celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. Meyer was just the first of four generations to be a part of the textile and apparel industry. In that 100 years, the Lurio family has helped countless others realize the American dream of a better life. With almost 500 current employees, Elbeco is the largest employer of union sewers in the industry. The brand is known nationwide for its quality uniform apparel for the law enforcement, fire, emergency services, U.S. Postal, security and transportation industries. Elbeco manufactures some of the best-selling uniform apparel, and its name is known both by the people who wear it and those who sell it.

The story starts back with 18-year-old Meyer Lurie, who immigrated without knowing how to read or write English. The e at the end of his name was mistaken for an o at Ellis Island, and his surname was officially changed. He peddled thread, buttons and other trim items among farmhouses and small towns across Pennsylvania. Eventually he worked his way up to become a wholesale store owner, supplying other peddlers and retail stores with items to sell.

His two brothers, Benjamin and Joseph, joined him from Lithuania. Benjamin teamed up with Meyer in running the store in Lancaster, Pa., and it was renamed M. Lurio & Brother. They became successful supplying trim items and notions to the many apparel manufacturers across the state.

One of the Lurios customers had hit rough times. The Wide Awake Shirt Company had opened in 1889, but it was facing financial problems shortly after the turn of the century. In 1907, the brothers bought out the shirt manufacturing company and called on Meyers son Samuel to manage the Reading, Pa., factory. The items manufactured there were sold under the Wide Awake brand label for decades even after the company officially took on the name Elbeco (the fusing of the previously separated L.B. Co. for Lurio Brothers Company).

Elbeco Inc. now comprises four domestic facilities each with its own specialty: City Shirt Co. in Frackville, Pa., specializes in the more complicated uniform and postal shirts; Galion Manufacturing in Galion, Ohio, produces trousers; the Reading, Pa., building houses the companys corporate offices and distribution center; and Warsaw Manufacturing, the newest addition in Warsaw, Mo., manufactures trousers. With each acquisition, Elbeco has been able to better service the changing demands of the uniform industry and its customers.

David Lurio is the current president of Elbeco and grandson of Samuel. He explains the largest shift in the industry was the change from made-to-measure uniforms to off-the-shelf, in-stock products. He says, They were traditionally wool-blended fabrics that were custom measured and made for each individual employee. That had a certain high level of quality, but the cost was an issue. Also the availability of the items was difficult; it took some time to do the measuring and to actually make the garment. That tended to inhibit the attractiveness and growth of uniform programs in the country. It was back in the 1940s or so that the concept of in-stock uniform programs came about.

With that major change came a boost in uniform demand and sales. Companies could afford the cheaper, mass-manufactured items and could get new hires into uniform programs easily. Over time, says Lurio, the customer began to demand uniforms that were readily available but also with easier care and better comfort. The introduction of polyester blends were received with huge applause, essentially ending the use of wool-blend, dry-clean-only garments that were once so prolific.

Elbeco continues to explore and introduce innovative changes in garment construction and fabric technology. Nanotechnology has become the new industry buzzword, and Elbeco is at the leading edge of producing apparel with manipulations at the fiber level to enhance fabric performance, capability and comfort.

Today, fabrics not only have wrinkle-free, home-laundering capability but also provide moisture-wicking management, anti-microbial performance, UV light ray protection for the skin, liquid /stain resistance and more. All of these changes have had a significant impact on our products and how we make them, Lurio says. Now a majority of Elbecos products incorporate nanotechnology advancements, and Lurio says end users are excited at the availability of stock items with these capabilities.

Michael Vasilik, Director of Marketing for Elbeco, says the end-user feedback is key to developing the top-selling apparel items. We have a field sales organization across the country that is out there visiting with our end-user customers on a daily basis. We get a lot of feedback and information from them. Our dealers are also a great source because they directly service our customers, and we solicit them for feedback about our products.

Vasilik says Elbeco also works closely with the National Tactical Officers Association, headquartered in Pennsylvania, to field test items before they are mass produced. Elbeco boasts more than 200 unique stock items it produces domestically and internationally, and that number doesnt include different colors, sizes or styling. Add to that the custom programs Elbeco produces for such accounts such as United Airlines, U.S. Capitol Police, the New Jersey Transit Authority, San Francisco MUNI Transit, and many other groups. In all, Elbeco produces more than 1.5 million pieces annually.

Elbeco does less than 1 percent of its business directly with end users. Instead, the company relies on its 400-plus authorized distributors across the United States and Canada to get all those products out to the customers. Distributors are evaluated based on geographic location, financial stability, available salesfloor space and adequate staffing.

Elbeco has built a strong relationship with its distribution base. We have all grown together. Once we have set up a distributor within a certain geographic area, we try to respect that and allow them to grow the Elbeco brand, Lurio says.

Also helping to grow the brand is the companys website. This is another major change Elbeco has seen in its 100 years. Technology has made it so a sale could happen without a single human interaction from researching an item to receiving the shipment. But thats not what Elbeco is interested in, so it doesnt sell directly from its website. Instead, it is a portal for communication, both about the company and its products and for the users to give their feedback.

Vasilik says, Were looking to redesign our website to make it more informative. Our goal is to provide information that helps public safety workers understand the differences between uniforms and the technologies and new fabrics coming to market. Our website will be greatly enhanced over the next 12 months.

Technology has changed not only the apparel industry but the entire concept of business as a whole. Global economies have had their effect on Elbeco as much as any other major manufacturer. Union Made in the U.S.A. is something the company is proud of and supports. But at the same time, international production cannot be ignored. Elbeco has struck what it feels is a good balance, concentrating on American, union-made products whenever possible and supporting those uniform programs who demand domestic production, like the U.S. Postal Service, but also using offshore production responsibly to support its domestic base. Elbeco, under David Lurios leadership, was the first uniform manufacturer to join the Sweat-Free Communities campaign for worker rights. The governors of Maine, New Jersey and Pennsylvania recently joined forces to promote a coordinated enforcement of sweat-free measures. The Governors Coalition for Sweat-free Procurement and Workers Rights will pool resources for enforcement and direct procurement dollars to sweat-free factories.

Elbeco always has stood for worker rights, fair wages and decent working conditions, says Lurio. Now we stand alongside courageous leaders, like Gov. Edward Rendell, who endorse Sweat-Frees procurement recommendations.

Its that kind of integrity that has kept Elbeco rooted in history while still allowing it the latitude needed to change and remain competitive. In anticipation of the companys 100th anniversary, Elbeco has been digging through old items, uncovering original uniforms from the 1920s, photos from the 1950s and other signs of its staying power. Throughout the year, a variety of events with employees, distributors and end users will mark the century of service. The company is steadfast in thanking each of the components that have helped it succeed.

So many of our employees have a great amount of longevity here, Vasilik says. And its the same with the dealers. We have many longstanding relationships.

Lurio says the ability to provide a livelihood for so many employees is gratifying and an awesome responsibility that he takes very seriously. When he looks at a worker, he sees not only that person but also that persons family who may be dependent on the income of a steady job. He names his employees as the single most important factor in Elbecos success. Bringing in new people with fresh viewpoints is important in a privately held business, he says, because they will bring the innovation and the unique approach that will lead to improvement.

Just dont try to move the headquarters. The building address is 1 Wide Awake Lane in homage to the companys history. Thats something employees are welcome to be a part of, but not something that will change.

Elbeco Incorporated
P.O. Box 13099
Reading, PA 19612
Phone: (610) 921-0651
Fax: (610) 921-8651
www.elbeco.com