A Brief History...

Bentley Manufacturing Co., Inc. began in Clarence Bentley's garage in 1955.  While employed at Modern Faucet Company Mr. Bentley invented the "Dishmaster", a revolutionary idea to permit easy cleaning of dishes prior to placing them into a dishwasher.  This was a great idea, however, there were leakage problems due to ill fitting washers.  Mr. Bentley set out to develop a washer that would be leak proof.  Having dismissed any problems with the materials used to make washers, he decided the stamping method must be at fault.  Mr. Bentley then invented a stamping process that allowed precise tolerances on outside, inside and thickness dimensions.  His method of stamping resulted in square cut and thin walled washers being manufactured without the "standard" concave edge.  This development was unheard of in the industry at that time.  From this proprietary invention came the genesis of a very important small business, Bentley Manufacturing Co., Inc.

For almost 35 years, the company existed day to day, manufacturing washers and gaskets, spacers and diaphragms.  Business was good, but not progressive. Having solidified a bond of trust and having great confidence in his abilities, Mr. Bentley placed the management of his failing company in Kevin Crampton's hands.  The year was 1990, and Mr. Crampton was appointed CEO with full charge of the company.  In 1992, Mr. Crampton assumed responsibility of President in addition to the duties associated with CEO.

During the next four years, Mr. Crampton made dramatic strides in elevating Bentley Manufacturing Co., Inc. to the level of a successful, community spirited, employee conscious business with emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction.  His fine tuning of the stamping process saved the company valuable time, which permitted greater production output.  Today, Bentley boasts of increased sales made mostly by an inside sales staff and Manufacturer's Representatives.  Bentley also advertises heavily in various industry directories.  However, Kevin still enjoys keeping his hands stirring the ever growing customer pot!  Under Kevin's direction, Bentley has expanded into the international marketplace.  The company is well known in the precision gasket and washer industry as the company of choice for quality products.