Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
CRESCENT ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY
CRESCENT ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY. Major wholesale electrical distributor in the United States. Crescent Electric Supply Company was founded on April 15, 1919, by Titus SCHMID. The business, first located at 785 Iowa Street, was soon moved to 765 and then 779 Iowa Street and in 1953 to 215 Main Street.
In 1959 according to the Dubuque City Directory the company was located at 200 S. Main.
The 1970 Dubuque City Directory listed 215 S. Main.
In 1925 Crescent Electric was appointed a GE Lamp Agent. Additional lines of General Electric merchandise were gradually added to the inventory until the company became a full line GE distributor.
Other manufacturers' lines of supplies and apparatus have been added over the years. Among the prominent companies represented by Crescent Electric have been Advance Transformer, American Electric, Certainteed, Cooper Lighting, Eaton, Hubbell, Ideal Industries, Leviton, 3M Company, Marley, Royal Electric, Square D Company, Thomas and Betts, Thomas Industries, Universal Ballast and Wheatland Tube Company.
The growth of the company has been measured by the steady growth of branches from one in 1919, two in 1923, five by 1930, twenty-five by 1970 and ninety-three in 1991. The Crescent Electric distribution network extends over Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The company sells a full range of electrical supplies to contractors and industrial customers including utilities, Deere and Company, and Caterpillar. Crescent Electric has established itself in the Factory Automation Products market through its advanced High Tech Systems and Solutions. In 1991 the president of Crescent Electric was James A. SCHMID.
The company has supported a variety of local causes. The $1.3 million endowment for the Crescent Community Health Center at 1789 Washington Street established a medical home to as many as 22,190 uninsured and underinsured tri-state residents. The company was also an early participant in the Sustainable Dubuque Initiative.