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History of Innovation
Born October 19th 1899, Founder Francis Arthur
Wittern grew up on his family farm in Cushing Iowa.
Pursuing an engineering education he quickly developed a penchant
for designing mechanical devices. At
the age of 16 he developed his first practical patent for an underwater
magnet mine. In the 1920's he worked
as a private contract engineer for a number of companies designing
everything from very popular gaming devices to household items, to
agricultural safety devices before becoming interested in the coin machine
industry. To his credit he was
granted over 80 patents during the course of his life.
In 1931 with an original investment of $12.50 for used tools and plenty of
ambition, F.A. started his own company, Hawkeye Novelty, named after the
state of Iowa.
The first machine was a penny peanut dispenser that had a special
innovation that was new for its time. Every ninth vend a bell would ring
and delivered a free portion.
Hawkeye was successful in the following years, manufacturing peanut
vendors, match box dispensers and other small vending devices. During the second world war, Hawkeye
manufactured juvenile furniture, magazine racks and other wood based products
and returning to peanut vendors and bumper pool type novelty games after its
end.
In 1947 Hawkeye Novelty became FAWN.
The trade name was derived from Mr. Wittern's
initials. F. A. W., and the N from
the last letter of Wittern, thus Fawn.
Manufactured products also changed and the production of cigarette
dispensers marked the starting point for real growth in the years to
follow. From cigarette vendors, FAWN's products expanded to popcorn vendors, snack
machines, hot and cold beverage machines, cold and frozen food, as well as many different non-traditional merchandising equipment.
Now in its
second generation of family ownership and transitioning to its third, the
company has grown with the industry and with the hard work and dedication
of our employees FAWN has evolved from a single entity to a successful and
diverse group of companies under the Wittern umbrella.
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