Okay besties, we need to talk about a 150-year-old company that just got a glow-up — because there’s real money wisdom hiding in this story.
Hendrick is celebrating 150 years of manufacturing, innovation, and service to customers across a wide range of industries. To mark the occasion, the company is rolling out a new logo and refreshed brand identity designed to reflect both its heritage and its vision for the future. And honestly? As someone who spends her days teaching women how to build wealth that lasts, I am obsessed with this story — because 150 years of survival in any industry tells you everything about what durable, generational success actually looks like.
Here’s the deal with the rebrand: the new identity brings Hendrick’s three specialized divisions — Hendrick Manufacturing, Hendrick Screen, and Hendrick Architectural — together under one unified Hendrick brand. The goal is to strengthen the connection among the company’s capabilities while making it easier for customers across industries to access its expertise and solutions. Think of it like consolidating three scattered savings accounts into one high-yield account with a clear strategy. Everything’s still there — it’s just finally working together, under one roof, with one vision. That’s not just good branding; that’s good financial housekeeping at the corporate level.
Ganesh Iyer, president and CEO of Etnyre International — which acquired Hendrick in 2024 — put it this way: Hendrick Manufacturing’s 150-year legacy is a testament to its enduring commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction. He added that companies that sustain this level of excellence across generations are rare, and Hendrick’s continued success reflects a deep understanding of its products and customers.
Rare is the operative word here, friends. This is why I tell my coaching clients to study companies like Hendrick, not just tickers and charts. When you’re choosing where to put your money — whether that’s individual stocks, ETFs, or even just deciding which businesses deserve your attention — longevity matters. A company that’s navigated 150 years of economic cycles, wars, recessions, and technological upheaval has proven something no startup pitch deck ever can: resilience.
Let’s rewind to the origin story, because it’s genuinely wild. Eli E. Hendrick founded the company after selling his patented oil-refining formula to none other than John D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil. Yes, THAT Rockefeller. His work in oil refining led him to develop an improved process that replaced wire cloth with holes drilled into metal. He soon began producing perforated metal screens for the coal and oil refining industries, laying the foundation for what would become Hendrick Manufacturing.
Here’s what I’d point out to anyone building wealth: Hendrick didn’t stay frozen in his original idea. He sold one innovation, took the proceeds and expertise, and pivoted into something new. That’s the exact mindset I coach women on — your first investment or career move doesn’t have to be your forever move. You build, you learn, you evolve. Eli was doing “pivot and scale” before it was a LinkedIn buzzword.
Over the decades, the applications for perforated metal expanded significantly. Today, it’s used for everything from filtration and separation to functional and aesthetic architectural applications. One core competency, endlessly reinvented. It’s like owning a classic piece that you restyle a hundred different ways — the foundation never goes out of fashion, you just keep finding new contexts for it. Financial analogy incoming: that’s your core index fund. Boring on the surface, endlessly versatile underneath, quietly appreciating while trends come and go.
Hendrick’s diversification story continues. The company began producing and selling Mitco floor grating in the early 1920s. That popular product eventually led to the opening of a dedicated screen manufacturing plant in Owensboro, Kentucky, which has been operating for more than 50 years. Then in 2008, Hendrick Architectural launched, expanding the company’s capabilities into custom metal solutions for architectural applications.
Notice the pattern? Every expansion grew out of an existing strength. Floor grating led to screens, screens led to architectural work. They never bet the whole company on something unproven — they layered new revenue streams on top of a solid base. This is literally the diversification strategy I teach: you don’t need ten wild bets, you need a few smart extensions of what’s already working. Core holdings first, then strategic additions. Hendrick figured that out before most of us were born.
Mary Gaffey, COO of Hendrick Manufacturing, said that as the company celebrates 150 years, they’re incredibly proud of their history, their members, and the generations of customers who have trusted them. She noted that the
