Bill Pryne

Bill Pryne joined American Felt & Filter as an hourly worker in 1967 and worked his way up to president by 1996.He bought the company in 1998.I don't ask anything of a person that I can't do myself, because I did it all my life.That's who I am, Pryne said.

Pryne has had to face some disappointments since taking control of the company.We struggled to stay alive, he said.That struggle included downsizing and a drop in sales.Today, American Felt & Filter operates out of facilities in Newburgh and New Windsor with 70 employees.When Pryne joined the company, it had five additional plants in New England, with a company-wide total of about 2, 000 employees.

American Felt and DuPont used to be major employers in the Newburgh area.
...
When there is an opening, Pryne often hires friends and relatives of the employees he has.These people here make this company, he said.

And they make a diverse product line.American Felt started out manufacturing woolen felts for hats, pool tables, piano strikers and engine gaskets.Now, the company engineers various fibers for a wide range of products – from fibers that can be dropped onto a burning candle without melting or catching fire to materials used in missiles.American Felt & Filter developed the first silicon-free computer chip in the late 1970s, Pryne said.The company also manufactures cleaning strips for automatic car washes, the tips for markers and felt-tipped pens, chalkboard erasers, seals and wicks, facial cleansing pads, padding for braces, and orthopedic supports.Liquid and air-filtration products are another big aspect of the business.The materials have changed, too.

Pryne estimates that 70 percent of the company's products were made from wool and 30 percent from synthetic materials 25 years ago.Now, it's the exact opposite, he said.
...
The 50-year-old Pryne is the fifth owner of American Felt & Filter.His sons have been with the company since the mid-1990s.