The 30 Year Evolution Of Caster Connection
THE ORIGIN OF CASTER CONNECTION
Caster Connection Founder and CEO Sally Hughes
After deciding that a career as a recording artist wasn’t for her, Sally Hughes returned to her hometown of Chardon, OH from Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. Sally had a conversation about other career possibilities with her father, then-owner of Shiffler Equipment. Knowing that she had great selling skills from her time pitching herself for gigs in Los Angeles, he thought of a product that he was frequently asked for but didn’t personally have great knowledge of: casters and wheels. After discussing this industry and its possibilities, Sally decided to pursue a career in selling casters and wheels in the Cleveland area, launching Caster Connection in 1987.
1990s and early 2000s Caster Connection logo banner
The business began with Sally making cold-call site visits to anyone and everyone who used casters and wheels in the Cleveland area. As the business grew, a handful of employees (including Sally's mother) were added to the team, and the company began to focus more on providing solutions to the automotive industry, and eventually expanded its territory outside of Northeast Ohio. The company steadily grew in this fashion throughout the 1990s and 2000's.
FORGING OUR OWN PATH WITH CC APEX
Throughout its first couple of decades in existence, Caster Connection functioned solely as a distributor of others' products. In looking to provide a solution for a major automotive client that others could not, Caster Connection developed its flagship CC Apex line of casters and wheels in the mid-2000s, the first product developed by Caster Connection. The CC Apex was a smashing success, and caught on like wildfire with numerous industrial manufacturers. The brand is now one of the most admired in the industry.
ONWARD AND UPWARD IN COLUMBUS
Caster Connection 2007-2016 Logo
To foster its growth and evolution, Caster Connection moved its headquarters from Chardon, OH to Columbus in 2009, granting the company access to a more robust talent pool and prime location for delivering product to a wide range of clients. This move was somewhat of a rebirth for the company, as Caster Connection has enjoyed success from the advances that the team has made, including
- focused branding
- more sophisticated operations
- new CC Series product lines (including CC Stout, CC Nylex, CC Peak, CC Vintage, and more)
- stronger distribution relationships with elite caster manufacturers
- an industry-best eCommerce site
CASTER CONNECTION AT 30
Caster Connection Current Logo and 30th Anniversary Seal
Three decades after its launch, Caster Connection serves organizations that need and utilize innovative products and solutions for optimized material handling, as a trusted partner invested in the success of clients by providing solutions that offer measurable value. We are unmatched in building meaningful relationships because of our immersive process and consultative approach.
Like our approach to solving problems? Contact us today to become our next success story!