At 20 years old, Charles Ivey Loftin Sr. was barely a man, but was already shouldering a man’s responsibilities. Out of school and on his own, he worked as a printer for the Gastonia Gazette. While preparing type in the Gazette’s “back shop,” he got to know George Glenn, a machinist. As the acquaintance blossomed into friendship, Glenn saw something in the young Loftin that he liked and trusted. Eventually, Glenn asked Loftin to leave the Gazette and become a partner in his printing firm. Doing so, the two formed Glenn & Loftin, Printers in 1898.
Glenn & Loftin endured until 1903, when Glenn left to enter the plumbing business. With $500 provided by a silent partner, Loftin bought Glenn’s interest, and the firm was rechristened Loftin & Company (the “& Company” reflected the presence of the silent partner, as business law then required).
The stock market crash of 1929 and the Depression that followed posed challenges for Loftin & Company. However, Loftin & Company made it through the 1930s without missing a payroll or declaring bankruptcy, and the firm survived the shortages of World War II without problem.
From then to now…the tradition persists. Could Charles Ivey Loftin Sr. have predicted that the small printing firm he joined in 1898 would reach beyond its 100th anniversary? Perhaps not. But he would be proud to know that the company continues the high standards he set. Loftin & Company remains dedicated to excellence in service, quality and working relationship with employees, suppliers, customers and the community.
