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Herbert Paul
Glaser, an
industrious
German emigrant,
along with
his friends
Jack Abramowitz,
and Harold
Leon, put
their savings
together in
1927 and founded
G.A.L. Electro
Mechanical
Services.
With $900,
the partners
bought a couple
of pieces
of equipment
and started
building and
repairing
elevator related
equipment
in the basement
of a building
at 178th and
Amsterdam
in New York.
With Glaser
providing
a steady stream
of new designs,
the company
began to grow.
In the first
6 months GAL
was carrying
10 products
that had been
designed and
built in house.
Still, times
were tight,
and in 1929,
Jack Abramowitz
decided to
go his own
way.
The company
grew slowly
and steadily
until war
broke out
in 1941. At
that time,
like many
businesses,
GAL was pressed
into manufacturing
war materials
for several
years. The
line of elevator
products,
gate switches,
interlocks,
and the like,
were set aside
to support
our country.
When the war
was over,
GAL returned
to it's roots
in earnest.
There was
an ever burgeoning
number of
independent
elevator contractors
who were creating
a huge demand
for new products.
From the end
of the war
until 1960,
the company
flourished
like never
before. It
was during
this period
that the first
door operator,
the product
that put GAL
on the map,
was developed.
The customer
base, which
had been primarily
in the New
York area
expanded,
and GAL became
a nation wide
business,
providing
high quality,
innovative
elevator products
from coast
to coast.
Through the
1960's GAL
marked many
important
and positive
milestones.
January 1,
1960, GAL
bought Hollister
Whitney.
At about the
same time,
Glaser's sons,
Herb Jr. and
Walter joined
the business,
and in 1967,
Glaser bought
out Harold
Leon, his
one remaining
partner and
renamed the
business GAL
Manufacturing
Corp. Last
but certainly
not least,
in 1970, after
moving several
times as the
company grew,
GAL settled
into their
current manufacturing
facility on
153rd. Street
in the Bronx
- in the shadow
of Yankee
Stadium.
Throughout
the 70's and
80's, GAL
continued
to prosper
and grow.
Products were
improved,
product lines
were expanded,
and the customer
base spread
out of North
America to
include countries
all over the
world. By
this time,
GAL and Hollister
Whitney
"The
Team Of Excellence"
had a solid
reputation
for manufacturing
high quality
elevator components
at value prices.
While other
suppliers
to the industry
came and went,
GAL became
a mainstay,
a standard,
a dependable
ally of elevator
contractors
everywhere.
The 90's were
also good
to GAL. Herb
Glaser Sr.
remained active
at GAL, designing,
re-designing,
inventing,
and improving
the company's
products until
his passing
in 1997. By
that time
he and his
two sons had
been joined
in the family
business by
four of his
grandsons
- each indoctrinated
with the old
man's work
ethic, genius,
honesty, and
generosity.
It was with
this momentum
that GAL entered
the new millennium.
The leadership
at GAL is
shared by
Herb Glaser
Jr. and brother
Walter Glaser.
The company
operates from
it's 85,000
Square foot
manufacturing
facility at
50 East 153rd.
Street, Bronx
, NY, 10451.
GAL Manufacturing
remains true
to it's name
in that the
vast majority
of products
offered are
produced in-house.
With over
225 people
involved in
production,
GAL's manufacturing
capability
ranges from
single spindle
drill presses
up to CNC
machining
and punching
equipment.
We perform
nearly every
imaginable
metal machining,
punching,
forming, welding,
and finishing
operation.
Other areas
produce solid
state boards,
do painting
and coating,
centrifugal
casting, injection
molding, and
every sort
of assembly.
Out of the
50 people
who work in
the office
at GAL, most
are involved
in customer
support. We
have a large
production
engineering
staff, who
along with
R & D,
utilize the
latest CAD
equipment.
Our sales
and customer
service people
are experts
at what they
do and have
all the information
to assist
customers
at their fingertips.
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