Few companies have the staying power to last 100 years, but Perlick has achieved this milestone through innovative products that solve customers’ needs and exemplary support.
Marking a milestone in the industry, Perlick is the only total package bar equipment manufacturer with a century of experience. Throughout it all, the company has empowered operators large and small to meet high demand for high-quality beverages.
Times have changed, but Perlick’s guiding principle has not: Build the best product you can. A poorly made product is expensive at any price.
Those were the words of Robert Perlick when he founded the company in 1917 to target the automobile and transit industries. Company leaders soon realized that their skills in crafting brass fittings could also translate to breweries. Due to Prohibition, the company produced limited products to dispense beer, but this segment of the business escalated once the Act was repealed in 1933 and Perlick was in perfect position to help quench America’s thirst.
As products and venues evolved, the company shaped some of the iconic landscapes in the beverage industry, including these highlights:
- In the 1930s, Perlick introduced the first direct draw system that drew beer from a temperature-controlled keg using gas pressure.
- In the 1950s, Perlick began its relationship with major league professional sports and has since equipped 64 stadiums and enhanced the fan experience.
- In the 1960s, retail establishments began reliably running beer long distances from kegs through lines with the Century Beer Dispensing System—the first system to dispense beer up to 100 feet away and enable multiple points of service.
- In the 1970s, establishments could meet demand through customizable underbars that put equipment within reach of servers.
- In the early 2000s, Perlick reduced lead time for custom products to two weeks through lean manufacturing practices.
- In 2015, the Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station revolutionizes service in high-volume operations.
Based in Milwaukee, Perlick’s people are the heart of the company’s longevity. Their pride shows in their precision production and multi-generations of families employed over decades at Perlick.
Similarly, Perlick has been family-owned for four generations and still places highest value on the superior products and stellar customer service that made it the industry leader.
As Perlick turns 100, the company is extending its vision across another century that will be marked by trendsetting initiatives to meet customer needs. The goal is to double the business through strategic partnerships, acquisitions, expanded distribution channels, and a push to take Perlick’s ingenuity across the world.
“This is a great company that has survived the test of time,” CEO Paul Peot says. “As we forge ahead, we will maintain the exemplary quality that has marked our first 100 years.”
