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About Us

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The Story of Leonard Automatics

Leonard Automatics was founded in 1969 by Len Frushtick in Charlotte, North Carolina. His son, Jeff Frushtick, began working alongside him in 1972, spending summers and weekends helping install new tunnel finishers and rebuild machines. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1980, Jeff joined Leonard Automatics full time two years later.

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Jeff began his career with the company in sales before transitioning into engineering, where he played a key role in developing many of the designs and machines Leonard Automatics offers today. In 1994, Jeff became President of the company, and in 1996 he purchased Leonard Automatics, continuing its legacy of innovation and growth.

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Since that time, Leonard Automatics has grown significantly, assembling one of the most experienced teams in the industry—with more than 75 years of combined experience across the laundry, garment, and heat treatment industries.

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On July 14, 2008, Leonard Automatics broke ground on a new facility located just one mile from its previous location. Built on 6.5 acres within a new industrial park, the expanded facility provides increased manufacturing and R&D capacity, along with additional office space to support continued growth. This investment enables Leonard Automatics to enhance existing product lines, explore new markets, and further improve manufacturing processes and infrastructure.

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In 2024, the company was purchased by ProtoTitan LLC.

 

A History of Firsts

For more than 56 years, Leonard Automatics has been a driving force of innovation within the textile rental, garment manufacturing, and heat treatment industries. We continuously strive to deliver higher-quality, better-performing equipment. Some of the key advancements integrated into Leonard Automatics equipment include:

  • Stainless steel frames and structural supports

  • Modular gas train design

  • PLC-based control systems

  • Stainless steel conveyor chains

  • Simple-addition “U-Turn” modular expansion (patented)

  • AutoFilter® automatic lint filtration system (patented)

  • Ethernet connectivity

  • Infrared garment temperature monitoring systems

  • “S-Turn” steam injection system

  • Triple Pass Technology (patent pending)

  • Production management and counting systems for tunnel finishers

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For additional information on any of these systems, please contact us by phone or email.

 

Our People

A company is only as strong as the people behind it, and Leonard Automatics is proud to employ some of the most experienced and respected professionals in the industry.

Leadership Team

  • Chris Clark – President

  • Will Rowe – ProtoTitan General Manager

  • Dave Perry – Sales Manager

  • Brad Hamrick – VP of Operations

  • Scott Abernethy – Leonard Automatics General Manager

  • Keith Gutberlet – Design/Manufacturing/Applications Engineer

  • Jeff Frushtick – Consulting

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In addition to our leadership team, many others contribute to Leonard Automatics’ success—from Accounting and Marketing to Service, Parts, and every member of our production floor. Each individual plays a vital role in delivering equipment that consistently performs day in and day out for years to come.

 

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