Vintage Grumman Designs Unveiled at LIMA

Coinciding with the 41st anniversary of the landing of the Apollo 11 lunar module, a line of products emblazoned with the vintage logo of Grumman, the module's Long Island-based contractor, was unveiled at The Paradies Shops at Long Island MacArthur Airport Friday, July 23, 2010.

The line, entitled "Vintage Grumman," features mugs and clothing available for purchase through the Paradies Shops at LIMA. A portion of the sales - 10 percent - will benefit the 4,000-member Grumman Retirees Club, and its scholarship fund.

The logo featured on all of the items dates to the earliest days of the company, founded in 1929. The line was the brainchild of entrepreneur and Northrop Grumman employee Ted Kole, present for the ceremony with several Grummanites, including Marion Abbott, Club President of the Retirees Club's Bethpage chapter.

Originally hired in 1974 with Grumman, Ted Kole is creative lead with Grumman's media services department and the founder of Custom Art Products in 2007.  Wantagh-based Kole had learned about the licensing process, eventually traveling to its current Northrop Grumman headquarters in Century City, Calif., to present his idea.

"The main part of my pitch was that in return for a License I would contribute to the Retiree Club as a demonstration of goodwill for the Retiree Club. They agreed and formalized the License Agreement," he explained, discussing the agreement for the licensing fee. "The Grumman mark is a brand to be developed. What's interesting from a business standpoint is that the Grumman name has a lot of intrinsic value.  The only way to see if there's any retail potential is to do what I'm doing."

Aside from LIMA, "Vintage Grumman" items can also be found at TheGrummanStore.com, and at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.  Al Morganelli, General Manager of the Paradies Shops at LIMA, said he was instantly excited by the prospect.

"I loved it right from the start," he said. "Grumman was very much at the heart of Long Island," said Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan of the company's legacy, after announcing the results of a raffle of "Vintage Grumman" items to LIMA travelers. "It was a company with a gold-plated reputation. The lunar module was a wonderful accomplishment, and there's a feeling among Grummanites that's like a family."

Grumman was absorbed by fellow aircraft builder Northrop for $2.1 billion in 1994, according to the New York Times, to form Northrop Grumman.  Combined, both incarnations of the company have approximately 200,000 employees to their collective credit.