November - December 1999
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Litton's Kester Solder Division Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary
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| Kester Solder's U.S. headquarters at 515 E. Touhy Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois. |
Core Solder
The name Kester acknowledges founder Jessie Kester who invented and patented core solder, which permitted putting the §ux core in wire solder. With this advance, companies were able to set up efficient assembly lines to produce radios, televisions and telephones.
The name Kester acknowledges founder Jessie Kester who invented and patented core solder.According to a company historian, Kester decided in the early 1930s to advertise its "Metal Mender" and radio solders on the Grand Ol' Opry in Nashville, Tenn. During the broadcast, listeners were offered short lengths of the solders on request. Each sample was inserted into a punched card which described the use and application of cored solders.
The response from the Opry was so great, one longtime employee wrote "that all the office employees took home samples and cards and envelopes and made up the sample packets at home."
Worldwide Supplier
Kester Solder has become a dominant supplier of precision solder products throughout the world, and today boasts a workforce of about 500. "Our team consists of employees from nearly 25 countries working togetherƒ" says Vern Kramer, Kester's president.
Kester's advanced products, including solders and polymers, are sold and manufactured throughout the world with plants located in the U.S., Asia, and Europe to serve electronic and technology customers.
This March Kester acquired Tarutin, a major Japanese manufacturer of solder paste and soldering products for Japan's consumer electronics industries.
The acquisition of Tarutin "supports Litton's strategy of global expansion for Kester Solder and offers solid access to a blue-chip customer base in Japan," Kramer observes.