View of chemist James F. Feeman using a portable pH meter, designed by the Althouse Chemical Company, in a laboratory at the Crompton & Knowles Research Center in Gibraltar, Pennsylvania. A special stirring table for the manufacture and testing of dyestuffs is visible on the right.

Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, Crompton & Knowles initially specialized in the manufacture of textile machinery and diversified its business with the purchase of the Althouse Chemical Company in 1954. The purchase of Althouse laid the foundation for Crompton & Knowles' manufacture of specialty dyestuffs for a variety of industries and applications, including paper, leather, printing ink, and heat transfer printing establishments, in addition to the textile and garment industry.