This year marks the 140th anniversary for Farmington, CT-based Fletcher-Terry, a designer and manufacturer of equipment and cutting tools in the signage and graphics markets. The company has remained a family-owned operation since its founding in 1868. Today, Fletcher-Terry is headed by Terry Fletcher, the grandson of one of its founders, Fred Fletcher.

“It makes me proud to be a party of a company that’s been able to successfully grow and expand, even during the tough times—we’ve survived the Great Depression, several recessions, market downturns, and wars,” Fletcher says. “We began during the industrial age, and we’re flourishing in the information age. I attribute our success to the commitment and ingenuity of employees we’ve had both in the past and today.”

Engineer Samuel Monce developed the world’s first hand-held glass cutter, known as the Bristol Diamond, in 1868. Monce’s nephew, Fred S. Fletcher, joined him in his business, and then with help of his father-in-law, Franklin Terry, founded The Fletcher-Terry Company. In the 1930s, the company ventured into manufacturing tools for the hardware, paint, and lumber markets. Some 50 years later, Fletcher-Terry became a player the picture-framing market with the debut of its mat cutters and wall machines. In 2007, the business expanded into the signage and graphic markets with various substrate-cutting devices. Today, Fletcher-Terry holds more than 90 patent grants and serves a wide range of industries.