Bon Ami Company
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing Consumer goods |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Founder | Major Thomas G. Beaham |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | See list of Faultless Starch/Bon Ami products |
Number of employees | 201–500 |
| Website | Faultless.com |
Bon Ami Company is a manufacturing business, producing laundry, household cleaning products, air care, and lawn and garden products. The company headquarters are located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
History
In 1886, Major Thomas G. Beaham (1842–1909) went to Kansas City and bought into a company selling coffee, tea, and spices, which was to become Beaham & Moffit. Later, it was renamed to Faultless Starch Company. After adding Bon Ami products to the line, the company again changed its name to Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Company in 1974.
Major Beaham's first product, dry white starch, was used widely in the 1880s, because it was simple to use and did not require lengthy boiling.
Faultless Starch Books
The 'Faultless Starch Books' were a line of primers that were given to early purchasers of the product from the 1890s. They were used as a marketing technique by John Nesbitt.[1] Thirty-six of the books were published from the 1890s to the 1930s, including such children's staples as the ABC book, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Ant and Grasshopper, to name a few.[2]
Headquarters
Faultless Starch/Bon Ami is located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
1800s to 2008
The original Faultless Starch Company plant was rebuilt after the flood of 1903 in the West Bottoms area of Kansas City. As the company grew and required more space, the plant was expanded at the existing site at 1025 West Eighth Street. In 1968, it was apparent that the business had outgrown its office space within the plant building. The New England Building, constructed in 1887 (the year Faultless was founded), was purchased. The company offices moved into the building at Ninth and Wyandotte Streets in 1978. In 1991, the company moved its offices to the River Market district of Kansas City.
The company moved to its current headquarters in 2009.
References
- ^ Faultless Starch History and Timeline
- ^ Note: Titles included 1. The Fairies, 2. Trials of Mrs. Graycoat, 3. Mother Goose Rhymes, 4. The Princess Bride, 5. Six Little Frogs, 6. Four Little Sunbonnets, 7. A Trip to the Moon, 8. Chin-Chin and Chow, 9. The Owl and Pussy Cat, 10. The Indians, 11. The Ant and Grasshopper, 12. The Starch Ghosts, 13. Conundrums and Jokes, 14. Proud Tommy Tilt, 15. Old Uncle Ritts, 16. Old Granny Grak, 17. Bin and Bun, 18. Sallie Short and Lillie Long, 19. ABC Book, 20. The House That Jack Built, 21. Ten Little Pickaninnies, 22. Upside Down Land, 23. The Reformed Pig, 24. Three Naughty Kittens, 25. Elisa May, 26. Honey, 27. The Van Troons, 28. Gentle Jane, 29. Mildred and Rosa, 30. Little Jack, 31. The Lunch Party, 32. Hans and Gretel, 33. Little Red Riding Hood, 34. Biddy and Paddy, 35. The Three Wise Women, 36. The Tuttle's Fourth of July. See Books of Paradise