The Beistle Company

The year was 1900, and it was the start of a new century. The world was full of dreams and so was Martin Luther Beistle. He was affectionately known as ML Beistle by his employees and the shareholders. He saw an opportunity that involved decorative products made from paper. That led him to a place on the other side of the map known as Heidelberg Germany. While he was there, he saw the production of tissue paper. With that, The Beistle Company was founded and honeycomb tissue was our first manufactured product.But that wasn’t ML Beistle’s first product that he put into production. Prior to this, he worked for Pittsburgh Art Calendar Company. He was a progressive salesperson that listened to his customers. While in hotels showcasing his calendars, his customers commented about the need to water the lobby plants. His solution was simple and brilliant. Artificial plants made from what? You guessed it. Paper! They never needed to be watered.Although The Beistle Company opened its doors in Pittsburgh, PA, it was only a stepping stone. They were incorporated in 1907, and headed east. It ended up in a small town outside of Shippensburg, PA called Oakville. The operation was set up on the second floor of a wagon shop. The small town still exists, and so does The Beistle Company!ML Beistle was visionary and continued to add additional product lines. This expansion created a need to move again. With that, The Beistle Company moved into the town of Shippensburg, PA and this has been home ever since. We are 119 years old, and still growing! The Beistle Company has stood the test of time, and we can now proudly call ourselves the oldest, continuing manufacturer of party goods and decorations in the United States. Our honeycomb tissue line continues to play an important part in our product offerings, and our catalog has grown to over 10,000 items!