PAUL F. SCHMITZ and GLOBAL MFG. CORP.
Paul Schmitz of West Allis,
Wisconsin, is one of the true pioneers of the dive industry. Schmitz, an army
veteran and draftsman by trade, began diving in 1957. In 1963, he met a
co-worker in Milwaukee, Tom DeWan, who had started a fledging accessory
company, specializing in divers’ flags and bags, weight systems, lead molds,
and spearfishing gear. Schmitz and two partners purchased the company in 1965,
changed the name to Global Manufacturing Corp. (GMC), expanded the line, and
traveled the country to establish dealerships. In those days, many now famous
diving entrepreneurs directly visited and assisted their dealers, and such
dignitaries as Bob Hollis, John Cronin, or Dick Bonin might regularly enter
your shop door! Schmitz also worked (and vacationed) with other early industry
leaders, such as Lee Turcotte, Jim Hill, John Gaffney, and Bob Clark thereby
initiating significant co-operation between certain dive equipment
manufacturers, travel experts, and teaching agencies. Global was then, and
remains, the only dive specialty company permanently headquartered in the
Midwest.
In the 1970s, Schmitz expanded
the range of products into industrial sewing, custom screen-printed products,
and air station components. The company moved from a 1,200 sq. ft. facility
into a 11,000 sq. ft. one. In the 1990s, Dr. Richard Boyd and Greg Kent came
aboard to develop a line of scuba test equipment and gas-mixing / processing
equipment. Bruce Geigner became shipping manager and Tammy Vanstone (daughter)
became office supervisor. Today, the company, now in a 14,000 sq. ft. building,
is a recognized industry leader, offering over a 1,000 items of specialized
diving equipment and ancillary accessories. GMC has a large worldwide cliental,
ranging from small dive shops and resorts to numerous military / scientific /
governmental agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, Navy Seals, Special
Forces, Canadian Mounted Police, Woods Hole Oceanographic and NASA...just to
list a very few!