ZSP Manufacturing Inc. was established in the 1960s by Al and Joyce Ziegler quite by accident. Their youngest son, Mike, then 10-years-old, wanted a ten-speed bicycle. Al, a math teacher by profession, told the youngster he could have the bicycle only if he earned the money himself. Mike pondered on how he could do that. He wasn't interested in a paper route or mowing lawns. Fate intervened when he saw an advertisement for a small rubber stamp making outfit. Mike didn't have the money for the outfit but convinced Al if he fronted the money for the purchase, Mike would sell stamps to the neighbors and local businesses. The sales, he promised, would not only pay for the rubber stamp maker but also the bicycle he coveted. The rest, as they say, is history. Al became really interested in stamp making and wanted to continue on after Mike had his bike and original investment paid off. He bought a bigger stamp maker and did sales work while teaching full time. Joyce, a successful court reporter, also worked part time in the budding business doing bookkeeping and advertising. Their bedroom became the office for the business. The family joke is referring to the business as the fifth kid because it got its start in the same place. Soon daughter Patricia began working in the business while attending Cal Poly University in Pomona. Another son, Howard, briefly worked there after graduating San Diego State University. The last family member to join was Peggy. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, she had been a newspaper reporter for several years. Mike left the business after college to pursue a successful career in computers. In the 1970s, Al and Joyce retired from their day jobs and devoted all their time to the business. After college, Patricia also became a full-time member. It was a time of rapid expansion. In the space of 10 years, the little house and garage business had moved into new quarters to accommodate its rapid growth. In the 1980s, the company again moved into larger facilities and was now one of the major stamp companies in California. The 1990s brought more growth with the addition of a subsidiary company, called EccenTricks, to sell arts and crafts. Sadly, Al passed away in 1992. Joyce semi-retired during this time leaving Patricia and Peggy to run the business. Today, ZSP Manufacturing enjoys a solid reputation for old-fashioned hard work and commitment to customer service. For those of you who have always wondered what ZSP stands for, it is Ziegler Specialty Products, though Patricia insists (to this day) that it stands for Ziegler Super Pat. Thank you for taking the time to browse through our web site, especially if you made it this far.
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