Company History
Decades of experience and commitment
Cooper Enterprises, Inc. has a long company history as a contract manufacturer of wood and laminated components and assemblies. Our customers rely on us to expand their capacity and capabilities by providing CNC machining, edgebanding, laminating and assembly services.
Founded in 1965 by Walter Friebel, Gerald Friebel and Dan Cooper, the company is now owned by Gerald’s sons, Monty and Edward Friebel. From humble beginnings, Cooper has grown into a multiple shift operation with over 100 employees, operating in over 140,000 square feet with state-of-the-art technologies.
Cooper Enterprises’ Timeline
Year | ||
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1936 |
Cooper Enterprises was formerly known as the Box Plant of the Friebel & Hartman Construction Company. It was founded in 1936 by Walter Friebel Sr. and Ray Hartman. The box plant made collapsible wood crates to ship fuel cells for the B-1 bomber. Pictured: Employees of the Friebel & Hartman Construction Company celebrate at a company Christmas party in 1948. | ![]() |
1965 |
In 1965, Gerald Friebel (Walter’s son) and Dan Cooper (Walter’s son-in-law who was running the wood products division) created Cooper Enterprises. The name Cooper Enterprises was chosen to avoid confusion with the then existing Friebel & Hartman Construction Company. The new business would focus on wood product manufacturing. Pictured: Owners Gerald Friebel and Dan Cooper discuss a project in 1965. | ![]() |
1989 |
In 1989, Gerald’s son Edward joined Cooper Enterprises and assumed responsibilities for manufacturing, engineering and maintenance. Two years later, Monty, another son, joined the business and was responsible for sales, purchasing and administration. In 1991, Cooper Enterprises had nine employees and operated on a one shift basis. Monty and Edward purchased the business in 1998 and continue to manage Cooper Enterprises. During 1998, the facility size nearly doubled to 100,000 square feet and expanded to a multi-shift operation. This expansion provided the capacity to support investments in state-of-the-art CNC technologies. | ![]() |
2015 |
When Cooper Enterprises celebrated its 50-year anniversary, the business was 15 times larger than it was in 1991. |
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Today |
Today, we operate in over 140,000 square feet with 100 employees and a large investment in equipment and technology. We are still growing as we strive for continuous improvement to help our customers compete in their ever-changing industries. |
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Call us at 419-347-5232 today to discuss your project, or click below for a no-obligation quote.