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Dave
Rifkin (left) and Jack Rifkin (right)
displayed their banking products
at numerous banking association
trade shows throughout the country. |
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In
August 1965, the organization was incorporated
and the name was changed to A. Rifkin Co.
By
1965, it was evident that the company had outgrown
the 19,000 square foot building in downtown
Wilkes-Barre, and began looking for new facilities
in the area. Finding nothing suitable, in 1966
they purchased five-acre parcel of land on the
Sans Souci Parkway, and a new factory was built.
During Christmas vacation of 1967, eighty truckloads
of machinery, material and other supplies were
moved into the new building. Manufacturing commenced
on January 2, 1968. This was the first move
for the company since 1903 when the Northampton
Street building was purchased.
The
new building was a one-story, 27,000 square
foot building with truck docks and fully equipped
areas for the different departments now required
by a rapidly expanding business. At this time,
the company had 11 sales representatives and
93 employees.
In
July 1968, David Rifkin passed away and was
succeeded by his son Arnold as President of
the company.
As
the business developed, so too did the company's
demand for locks. In 1969 It became obvious
that a new source was needed for the manufacture
of the Rifkin Arcolock. A. Rifkin Co. was now
ready to radically improve the lock beyond what
had been available through their Standard and
Deluxe models.
The
new lock was to be a seven-pin tumbler lock,
which could provide increased security and a
greater number of combinations. Together, Rifkin
and their new lock manufacturer produced an
entirely new key design, so that Rifkin could
offer a unique key, different from anything
that had been on the market previously. An entirely
new, proprietary, master key system was developed.
Now Rifkin could offer their customers Master
Key Series that were exclusive, because they
were not available from any other source.
In
1970, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority
of New York City asked Rifkin to provide a special
level of security for their new toll collection
installation. They agreed to field test the
new lock during a nine-month observation period.
The new lock, called the Super Arcolock-7, was
fine-tuned for high security and ease of use,
and finally pronounced satisfactory.
Business
continued to grow, and in 1973 the company opened
a 10,000 square foot branch factory in the neighboring
town of Nanticoke, where 70 people were employed.
At the Sans Souci location there were two more
expansion periods in 1975 and 1981 which brought
the total area of that facility to 69,000 square
feet, including office, factory and warehouse
space. With the expansion, the satellite operation
in Nanticoke was no longer necessary. It was
closed and its equipment and personnel moved
into the Sans Souci facility 1983.