History
Brady's first products were promotional calendars, painted signs and point-of-purchase displays. The company survived the Great Depression by producing push cards: small paperboard cards with rows of perforated circles concealing numbers. During World War II, Brady developed the wire marker card – numbered cloth strips on an adhesive card.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Brady moved to Milwaukee. The company developed proprietary machines that could laminate, die cut, print and cut to length in a single operation.
Having sold their products through distribution and mail order since 1947, the company in the 1970s established subsidiaries in England, Belgium, Germany, France and Australia. By 1980, international subsidiaries accounted for 20 percent of sales.
In 1981, Brady acquired Seton Identification Products, a direct marketing business that sold nearly identical products. Seton's catalog mailings rose from 1 million in 1981 to 8 million in 1988 and 1985. Subsidiaries were established in England, Canada and Germany by 1988.
In the 1990s, the company introduced printing systems that enabled customers to print their own safety signs, labels and identification products on-site.
In the 2000s, more than 35 acquisitions led to a tripling in size[6] between 2003 and 2010.
In 2010, Brady became a Smartway Transport partner in the U.S., while in 2009 it opened a facility in Egelsbach, Germany, that uses a geothermic heating and cooling system. It says it uses Design for Environment principles to design eco-friendly products, including halogen-free flame-retardant labels and ribbons.
In 2012, Brady issued its first annual sustainability report. The company says its operations focus on reducing waste, conserving energy,[7] using natural resources responsibly and promoting employee safety.
In its communities, it operates through philanthropy and employee engagement. Charitable giving through the Brady Corporation Foundation and Brady Corporation has surpassed US$1 million. Recent projects include a third China Hope School[8] in Sichuan Province; "Brady Corporation, Jr.,"[9] an interactive exhibit that teaches preschoolers about manufacturing at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in Milwaukee; and funding college educations through I Have a Dream[5] for a class of students at Clarke Street Elementary School.
