1938

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Wagner-O’Day Act on June 25^th. 

1939

Thirty-six associated agencies furnish brooms and mops to the federal government; sales amount to $220,000 and NIB adds cocoa mats and pillowcases to the Procurement List.

1940

The war in Europe spurs defense efforts and demand increases for products made by people who are blind.

1943

NIB expands services to associated agencies to include liaising with government agencies, distribution and new product development.

1945

NIB and associated agencies agree to a post-war recovery plan including the need to widen sales outlets.

1946

World War II ends and the demand for products plummets from $8 million annually to $585,537. More than $1.8 million orders are cancelled.

1948

NIB initiates steps to broaden the market for products through military commissary stores. It takes seven years to overcome the commercial distribution and marketing obstacles.

1949

The General Services Administration (GSA) is established in June and the Bureau of Federal Supply is transferred from the Treasury Department to GSA.

1950

NIB opens an office in Washington, DC, to maintain liaison with government departments.

1951

The war in Korea increases demand for products and government sales quadruple to $14.6 million.

1952

NIB launches SKILCRAFT™, the brand name for quality consumer products made by people who are blind.

1953

Lions International receives the first R. B. Irwin Award, named after Dr. Irwin, who was instrumental in passing the Wagner-O’Day Act and forming NIB.

1955

The first military resale products reach the shelves in commissary stores, generating $268,000 in sales that year.

1958

Wages for employees who are blind top $5 million and government/military resale sales exceed $11 million.

1960

Robert C. Goodpasture, an engineer with industrial marketing experience, becomes the vice president-general manager of NIB.

1961

NIB employs its first engineer to operate a product development laboratory.

1963

The Cuban Missile Crisis escalates Americans’ fear of atomic attack. NIB associates produce more than one million sanitation kits for the Federal fall-out shelter program. NIB inaugurates a central purchase program to provide associates with raw materials substantially below the cost of what an individual associate would pay.

1964

NIB publicizes the capabilities of people who are blind and the quality of SKILCRAFT products at the World’s Fair in New York. There are now 67 NIB-associated agencies.

1966

NIB launches a supermarket rack-jobbing program and purchases the former Modglin Maid in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. It is renamed, Royal Maid Association for the Blind, and converted into a model demonstration industry for people who are blind. Today, this NIB-associated agency employs 400 people who are blind and is known as, Signature Works, Inc.

1967

NIB opens a major center in St. Louis, MO, which becomes the headquarters for all NIB product research and engineering; and marketing, merchandising and sales for the SKILCRAFT rack and military resale programs. Two years later, 1,500 racks are located in five supermarkets, creating an annual sales volume of $1.8 million.

1968

At the 30^th anniversary of the Wagner-O’Day Act, 78 NIB-associated agencies create jobs for 4,600 workers and increase sales volume to $49.3 million. NIB starts the Peter J. Salmon award to honor people who are blind. NIB signs a contract with GSA to manufacture ballpoint pens, marking entry into the writing instrument field and creating 125 new jobs for people who are blind.

1969

NIB establishes a rehabilitation services division to increase skills and abilities of people who are blind or have other disabilities.

1970

Noel B. Price becomes executive vice president of NIB during a substantial drop in government purchasing. NIB closes St. Louis and Cincinnati rack programs, its military resale warehouse in Tuxedo, Maryland, and the research/development facility in St. Louis. Associated agencies loan NIB $230,000 for urgent financial obligations and the American Foundation for the Blind also assists NIB with a grant, which is later fully repaid.

1971

Senator Jacob K. Javits sponsors legislation adding the purchase of services and including agencies serving people with other severe disabilities to the original Wagner-O’Day Act. The legislation becomes known as the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act. NIB relocates its headquarters from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey.

1975

NIB conducts management training for executives from associated agencies and starts adding additional training seminars to strengthen management skills of NIB and associated agencies. NIB establishes its first financial assistance program for associated agencies and creates a subcontract department to assist associated agencies with subcontract work.

1977

NIB forms legislative affairs and public relations departments to develop a greater presence in government and public affairs.

1978

On NIB’s 40^th Anniversary, associated agencies post more than $61 million in government sales and another $6.7 million to commissaries.

1979

Damaging articles appear in the Wall Street Journal and a feature on CBS’s 60 Minutes, triggering a continuous succession of audits and investigations of the JWOD program for the next decade. George J. Mertz is promoted from vice president of finance to president of NIB.

1980

The 1980s herald the entry into new product fields and higher levels of technological sophistication.

1981

NIB establishes a compliance department to assist associated agencies with legal and regulatory requirements of the JWOD Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and other workplace regulations. NIB sets up a loan program to enable associated agencies to purchase equipment and raw materials for manufacturing government-use products.

1981

The first contracts for accessories for the Army’s Kevlar helmet (still being made today) are allocated by NIB, creating 80 jobs for people who are blind.

1982

NIB creates satellite establishment grants to create employment for people who are blind living too far away to work at an associated agency. By the end of 1987, eight associated agencies open satellites through the grant program.

1983

NIB divests itself of the Signature Works (Royal Maid Association for the Blind) when the organization celebrated 20 years of successful operations.

1984

NIB constructs a new Technical Center to provide staff with advanced laboratory facilities, production line testing, rehabilitation engineering and training capabilities.

1988

NIB and associated agencies celebrate the golden anniversary of the Wagner-O’Day Act with extensive legislative and public relations programs. Total wages of employees who are blind exceed $34 million. Government and military resale sales reach $189 million. The GSA implements industrial funding and changes procurement practices in the government marketplace.

1989

Delegates from the All Russia Association of the Blind visit American facilities as guests of NIB and the American Foundation for the Blind. Their visit followed one made by the two organizations to Soviet agencies the prior year.

1991

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm create a massive production surge in NIB-associated agencies, which met the challenge of supplying American troops with $67 million worth of critically-needed products. Never before have NIB-associated agencies been called upon to deliver so many products in so short a period of time.

1994

Judith D. Moore, an executive with Eastman Kodak, is appointed president and chief executive officer of NIB.

1995

NIB relocates its headquarters from New Jersey to Virginia and consolidates operations. It creates a new corporate image for its trade name, SKILCRAFT, and develops a new logo and packaging system. NIB develops a test program for usage of government credit cards. The first military base supply center is opened by Lions Club Industries in North Carolina to establish a new distribution channel for SKILCRAFT products. NIB-associated agencies take on new service contracts in warehousing and distribution; customer service; order entry; invoicing; data entry; and database management.

1996

In cooperation with the GSA, Tarrant County Association for the Blind in Fort Worth, TX, starts a pilot program for providing temporary personnel for administrative jobs to government agencies and military organizations.

1998

Distribution outlets on military base supply centers expand to 50 stores operated by NIB associated agencies across the nation. James D. Gibbons becomes the president and CEO of NIB.

2001

NIB expands base supply centers to 100 across the United States. NIB and associated agencies now provide rehabilitative services to more than 148,000 people who are blind, and over $60 million in salaries to more than 5,000 blind employees in 44 states.
 

2005

NIB JWOD employment increased by nearly two percent, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth (measured by hours worked).

NIB JWOD sales and program activity totaled nearly $455 million for the year.

Three new military base supply centers were opened by associated agencies, bringing the total number of BSCs to 125.  Sales of JWOD products at the BSCs were up almost six percent over the prior year.