A Brief History: Beckett Gas, Inc. started business in 1988, but to understand where we are now, we need to recognize that our roots extend back to the mid 1930's. The original Beckett Company has its beginnings in 1937 when R.W.Beckett founded the R.W.Beckett Engineering Company. He was one of the pioneers in the oil heating industry, having obtained his start in Detroit in 1925. In his home workshop, he designed and built the "Commodore", the first Beckett oil burner. Automatic oil burning was then just beginning to replace coal for home heating. That fledgling business soon outgrew the basement of Reg Beckett's home on Columbus Avenue and he moved into rented facilities in Elyria on West River Road. Beckett's first customer was the C.W.Olsen Company, which today is York International - still a major customer. In those early years, oil burners were sold primarily in local markets. The Beckett "Commodore" quickly earned an outstanding reputation for quality and ease of service. Even today, many of these burners remain in operation some sixty plus years later. During the difficult World War II years, rationing for the war effort prevented Beckett from manufacturing burners. The Company stayed in business by insulating home in the greater Elyria area. After the war, oil burner demand was great and the business prospered and grew. In early 1965, Reg Beckett passed away suddenly and the management of the Company was transferred to his son, John Beckett, who had been with the firm for only just over a year. Shortly after, John recognized the need to establish a dedicated team of qualified people to lead the Company. He first employed Bob Cook as Marketing Director, soon to be followed by other strategic hires to complete an effective management team. In the years from 1965 up to the early 80's, Beckett continued to grow steadily to the position where they enjoyed over a seventy-percent market share in the North American oil burner market. Management wished to continue to grow, but realized that to do so, it would need to diversify. Several attempts had been made to bring in various related products to the core business, but with only limited success. It became management's conviction that the best way to accomplish growth would be to start new companies in markets adjacent to the traditional oil burner market. As a result of this, both Beckett Gas and Beckett Air were born. Beckett Gas started with no products, no employees, and no customers - only a vision of what could be. In 1988, in a historic home (the "Cahoon House"), on the corner of the R.W.Beckett, Corporation site, we started the business. Later that year, we moved into our first manufacturing site in an industrial park in North Ridgeville. That fall, our first burner was proudly shipped to Utica and established that we were "open for business". Several years in that first location, a steady increase in business, and the addition of several new product lines brought us to the need for more space. Fortunately, we were able to purchase a sixty-three thousand square foot building on Taylor Parkway. In 1995, we acquired a portion o the White Rodgers burner line. White Rodgers is a division of Emerson Electric. We moved that operation into another building on Race Road in North Ridgeville. By 1997, we needed yet more space and also wanted to move into what would become our permanent home. We initiated the planning, which ultimately resulted in the construction of our present 140,000 square foot factory facility. We have continued to increase steadily and have been blessed with outstanding customers buying components from us for their appliances. We have grown steadily and continuously form our founding day in 1988 up tot eh present. We are profoundly grateful for God's grace, to all of us at Beckett Gas, for the remarkable journey that we have taken to reach where we are today. Our especial appreciation also to all the members of the team who have made this possible. We remain tremendously optimistic about what the upcoming years will bring, and we remain committed to our core values of integrity, excellence, and the profound respect for the individual. With God's help, Beckett Gas can be truly great company.