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History of Standard Golf Company

Standard Golf Company was founded in 1910 by Walter K. Voorhees and 4 other local businessmen. The company, originally called Standard Manufacturing Company, produced steel farm gates. In its early days, the company expanded its farm gate line to include ornamental gates and wagon tongues. Later, a diverse range of products including cistern covers, street signs, boat docks, automatic hog waterers and furnace humidifiers were also produced.

Walter Voorhees was a member of the Cedar Falls Park Board when the Washington Park Golf Course was built in 1921.  At that time, no company offered a complete, standardized line of golf course equipment.  So in 1926, Voorhees decided to add golf course equipment to Standard’s product line.  “The idea struck me” he said, “that here was a new field for an alert manufacturer.  Why not develop a complete line of needs in this field, a standard line. Why not develop a product so good that it would be in demand all over the United States.”

Over the years, golf course equipment became an increasingly important part of Standard’s business.  In 1971, the last of the agricultural and miscellaneous lines of business were sold, and in 1974, the company changed its name to Standard Golf Company.  Today, Standard is the world’s leading producer of golf course accessories. Its products are sold by over 250 distributors on six continents.

The company began its business in an old paper mill located at the end of East Third Street in Cedar Falls.  In 1913, the company erected a building at 220 East Fourth Street.  Over the years, several additions were constructed and several tracts of adjoining property were added to the complex.  The company opened a warehouse in Holland to serve its European customers in 1991.

On June 6, 1992, a fire destroyed the original building and a substantial portion of the rest of the complex.  Shortly thereafter, the company began construction of a new 75,000 square foot building in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park, which it occupied in December of 1992.  A 30,000 square foot addition was added to the building in 2000.

Walter K. Voorhees served as President and General Manager from 1910 until his retirement in 1956.  At that time, his sons, Robert W. Voorhees and Maynard K. Voorhees, became President and Vice President respectively.  Peter E. Voorhees, who is the son of Robert Voorhees, served as president from 1982 until 2021, and continues to serve as board chairman.  Sara Gregory, Robert Voorhees’ daughter, joined the company in 1982, and served as Vice President until her retirement in 2002.  In 2017, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) was established, thus making the company 100% employee owned.  The current officers of the company are Scott Hottle, President and CEO; Matt Pauli, Vice President; Ionela Verzescu, Secretary; and Roxanne March, Treasurer and CFO.

Timeline of Standard Golf

 

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