1969
Crysteel began in 1969 when Eldon and Helen Jones borrowed $25,000 and purchased machine tools for welding and steel fabrication. They then rented a small shop in Arlington, MN to produce Eldon’s design for a truck hoist. In 1970, a Small Business Administration loan allowed Eldon and Helen to open a facility in Lake Crystal. It was then Eldon coined the name Crysteel (pronounced kris-teel) Manufacturing. The word “Crysteel” is a combination of crystal and steel. Things really took off after that. Here’s a historical profile of Crysteel Manufacturing, Inc.
