Charles Marsh arrived in Muskegon in 1900 working for a company specializing in leather products.
Recognizing leather’s properties improving hydraulic device performance with leather packings and industrial seals, that same year he formed the C.W. Marsh Company in Muskegon. He’d expand the operation to 1307 Hudson Street in 1907 and added space in 1928.
The C.W. Marsh Company is still in business today, one of only three U.S. companies specializing in leather products. It remains family owned. Some equipment is still powered by original turn-of-the-century overhead drive belts.
Reacting to the National Register of Historic Places designation, CEO Dan Wehrwein stated, “This business has been run by five generations of my family. When my grandfather passed away in 2013, he asked me to keep this business viable and in Muskegon. I’m very proud to be a part of this business that has been in my family for over 126 years in the same building for 116 years.”
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
