Made in Connecticut: Waterbury Button Company
They’ve been making buttons for the military, as well as police and fire departments, for centuries. News 12’s Rebecca Surran takes us to the Waterbury Button Company.
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The Waterbury Button Company in Cheshire continues a centuries‑old craft, producing brass buttons used by the military, police, fire departments and commercial clients.
The factory specializes in brass buttons, which company leaders described as the highest quality due to their durability, finish and detail. Buttons made by the company date back more than 200 years.
The business began in 1812 when founder Aaron Benedict melted down pots and pans after supplies were cut off from the British during the War of 1812.
Military work has remained a cornerstone ever since.The company produces buttons for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force.
Civil War generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant wore Waterbury buttons, as did the captain and crew of the Titanic. The company also supplies brass buttons for airlines, casinos, cruise lines, fashion brands and first responders.
Workers bring in brass in various thicknesses before feeding it into stamping machines to create the front and back of each button. A strip of brass moves through stages of the process, punching out shapes and producing a button back.The customer’s image or symbol is stamped into the button’s front. Blank shells are placed into a press, struck together, and an impression appears on the other side.
Many of the finished products are manually assembled and inspected. Thirty‑eight employees help maintain the company’s longtime standards.
“Our task every day is to come to work to make a product that will be made here forever,” says David Fraser, Owner and President, Waterbury Button Company
