As was the case with many fledgling family companies, there was no plan for succession, and Hirsch's widow took over control of the firm. Its brand-name products, for auto care and household cleaning, had established a foothold in the market, and the firm had just opened a factory in England. The company even produced a line of dessert toppings called Party Day.īy 1966, the company boasted huge factory facilities. In the mid-1950s Hirsch branched out, developing shoe polish, rug shampoo, and floor wax. To appeal to a larger group of customers, he saw the need to sell products through grocery stores, not just to gas stations and hardware stores. Some of those employees, or their children, relatives, and friends, still worked for Turtle Wax in the mid-1990s.Īs the popularity of the wax grew, Hirsch wanted to diversify. I can remember we, my brother and I, slept on the countertop of this storefront on Clark Street." Her father kept the company going by borrowing money from his employees and giving them stock in repayment. "We moved around a lot in the Chicago area. "It was an arduous period," remembered Turtle Wax chairman Sondra Hirsch Healy in a 1993 Chicago Tribune article. In the early years, Hirsch nearly went bankrupt several times. Thus was born a new name for the company and for the wax, Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell. The name of the town clicked in his mind with the hard shell of a turtle and the protection his wax offered. Plastone was a couple of years old when, according to company lore, Hirsch made a sales call in Turtle Creek, Wisconsin. He then waited for the owners to arrive and hope to convince them to buy his wax to finish the job. To promote his wax, Hirsch would go into a parking lot and shine one fender of each car. In 1941, he invested $500 and opened the Plastone Co., which operated out of a series of storefronts. During the day, Hirsch traveled by street car to gas stations around Chicago, selling the wax he named Plastone. His wife, Marie, filled the bottles by hand. In the late 1930s he developed a car wax and mixed up batches at night in the bathtub. But he never lost his interest in chemistry nor his fascination with cars. Instead, he became a magician, supporting his family with his silks and wand. The family-owned business had estimated revenues of $145 million in 1994, according to Crain's Chicago Business.īenjamin Hirsch, the founder of Turtle Wax, wanted to be a chemist, but had to drop out of college during the Great Depression. It also markets chemicals for commercial car washes, owns and operates the largest chain of full-service car washes in the Chicago market, and manufactures shoe polishes and household cleaners. car wax market and sells its products in Europe, the Pacific Basin, and Central and South America. The Chicago-based company controls over 60 percent of the U.S. is the world's largest manufacturer of car-care products. We are the only car wax that can give you up to 4 times more protection than common waxes.Turtle Wax, Inc. Get the smoothest, most durable car wax out there with Best Car Wax. If you don't have time to wax your car, this is the way to go. Best durable: Turtle Wax 50935 Scratch Repair & Renew 7 oz. Our car wax is enhanced with the highest quality of ingredients. It's 15X easier to clean and shine your car than any other car wax out there. That's why we developed our car wax, the best of the best in the world. Best value: Turtle Wax T-374KTR Color Magic Car Polish, Black - 16 oz. So, if you're thinking of buying a new car, you need to make sure that the one you take around is in good condition. , WhiteĬar wax is the key to keeping your car in -condition. Best overall: Turtle Wax T-241A Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover - 10.5 oz. Better still, it makes your car look brand new again! Cheapest: Turtle Wax T-223 Super Hard Shell Paste Wax - 9.5 oz (Pack of 1)Īre you tired of having to clean your car every month? Do you have time to do it yourself? Our Car wax cleaner is an easy and effective way to clean your car - the way you want it cleaned. This special blend of organic ingredients will in turn deliver the best car care results on all surfaces, not just your car. Beyond being super slick and durable, we've added a new wrinkle to our wash-by-visit formula by including Car Care Soap. When it comes to cleaner, there's no greater choice than a car wax. Best Sale: Turtle Wax 53409 Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating - 16 Fl Oz.
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