Historic Philadelphia

Caledonian Dye Works, founded in 1911
by William MacNeill, commenced operations
as a cotton warp dye house. Before stainless
steel equipment existed, iron Hussong kettles
were used to dye yarns for weavers, whose
yarns were skein dyed for filling purposes.
The textile weaving trade was centered in
Philadelphia before World War I, but the city
now retains only a few such mills. Caledonian
has adapted with the times to meet the everchanging
textile market, with customers coast
to coast.
Warp dyeing gave way to ultra -modern
stainless steel package dyeing machines with
microprocessor controls. Dye-lot maximums
have increased from 250 pounds to over
1,000 pounds at a time. Caledonian presently
dyes rayon, wool, nylon, cotton, silk, and
polyester yarns, all used for high-end home
furnishing goods.
The company is presently managed by
Richard D. Fitch, third generation, and Kimberly
F. Livingston, fourth generation, who are looking
forward to a growing and expanding firm.
CALEDONIAN
DYE WORKS
For fifty years, Bogatin International, Inc. has
successfully maintained a business of buying
and selling textile fibers and by-products of
the textile industry and recyclable polymer
products such as nylon, and processing some
of them. With headquarters at 2011 Walnut
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the company
estimates gross sales for 2000 at $10 million.
During the past thirty years it has done $150-
$200 million in business.
Since about 1980 Bogatin has also
accumulated and developed for sale real
estate along Philadelphia’s Delaware Avenue.
Present holdings include high-rise office
buildings and warehouses, and the company’s
headquarters building.
Plans for the company’s future are to
maintain its present philosophy of nurturing
quality relationships with clients and
maintaining excellent connections with present
sources of business.
Philip F. Bogatin, the company’s founder
and sole owner, received a B.S. degree in
Agronomy from Penn State in 1942. A
decorated veteran of five years’ World War II
service throughout the European Theater of
Operations, he attained the rank of Major.
Bogatin’s business donates to numerous
charities. He is a board member for the
Children’s Village and the Jewish Community
Center of Philadelphia, and is active in many
other charitable and civic organizations.
BOGATIN
INTERNATIONAL,
INC.
✧
Bogatin International, Inc. founder
Philip F. Bogatin.
INDUSTRY &
MANUFACTURING
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