Our History

Young Morris Black
Morris Black circa 1908

Morris Black History 1908

In 1908, our founder, Morris Black, started a small business when he bought a wagon and a team of white horses to supply building products to local contractors. Little did he realize that this modest beginning would grow into a multi-faceted construction services company with two locations over a century later – and still managed by the third and fourth generations of his family, and a long line of Morris Black history.

1928

As his business grew, young Morris Black began offering more building materials, including pipe, brick, sand, cement and other masonry products; and eventually, he bought his first delivery truck. By 1928, he had warehouse locations in both Allentown and Bethlehem. The variety and quality of his products, and the dependability of his service, became Morris Black trademarks as his reputation grew.

When Morris was joined by his sons in the 1930s, the firm became Morris Black & Sons, Inc. In 1943, the company added an insulation subcontracting business, one of the first in the entire country.

1928 Truck
1928 Truck
1963 Morris, Ben, Sam
1963 Morris, Ben, Sam

1946

In 1946, a modern office and warehouse was built in Bethlehem, which facilitated innovative methods of material handling such as palletized storage, forklift trucks, and conveyors to move large quantities of sand and stone. In the 1950s and 1960s, new product lines were added including face brick, fireplace products, gypsum drywall, kitchen cabinets, and appliances. Delivery capabilities were greatly expanded with the introduction of boom trucks for delivery of bricks, palletized bagged goods and drywall.

Over the next 2 decades, the third generation of the Black family became associated with the company. The 1970s was a period of rapid change; the firm’s kitchen cabinet business grew into a separate department specializing in stock and custom cabinets for both builders and home owners. Custom design and installation services were added.

A Commercial Door and Hardware Department was established in 1975. This department, featuring hollow metal doors and contract hardware, became the cornerstone of the firm’s commercial sales effort; and soon included wood doors, washroom accessories, toilet partitions and other specialties.

1976

In 1976, Morris Black & Sons predicted the coming do-it-yourself trend by opening a free-standing home center to market building products directly to homeowners. The new facility featured the company’s first dedicated kitchen and bath showroom.

1977 Bob, Ben, Ron, Sam
1977 Bob, Ben, Ron, Sam
LV Kitchen Display from 1987
LV Kitchen Display from 1987

1987

In 1986, the company consolidated its operations in a new office building and warehouse complex in the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, which included a 4,000 square foot kitchen and bath showroom. Today, that showroom includes over 25 fully-accessorized displays of kitchens, baths and other custom interiors, with a wide range of cabinet styles and finishes, countertop treatments and built-in appliances.

The Architectural Millwork Department was created in 1990 to supply the commercial and institutional markets with casework, cabinetry and millwork. By 2000, Morris Black was manufacturing its own custom casework in a state of the art on-site facility. This continues today as a rapidly growing part of the business.

1999

The firm launched its first satellite location in 1999 with the opening of its Pocono showroom on Rt. 611 in Bartonsville. This facility was strategically planned to give the firm a local presence in Monroe and Pike counties.

The kitchen department, now named Morris Black Designs, and its designers have won numerous national (NKBA) and local (LVBA) design prizes, and their kitchens were featured on HGTV’s “Kitchen Trends” and in national magazines including Kitchen and Bath News.

In 2005, Morris Black and Sons, Inc. was awarded the “Excellence in Business” award from the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

1999 Pocono Grand Open
1999 Pocono Grand Open
2007 Black Family
2007 Black Family

2000-2010

Early in 2000, Morris Black & Sons began to lay the foundation for future expansion with physical and technological improvements to its headquarters.  A 1200 sq. ft addition and completely refurbished office area were completed by the next year.  At the same time, the casework/millwork manufacturing operation was expanded with sophisticated new equipment to facilitate this growing segment of the business.

The company’s kitchen business, now trading as Morris Black Designs, received national recognition in both 2001 and 2002, earning first place honors each year in the Industry Leadership Awards sponsored by KBDS and the National Kitchen and Bath Association.  In 2001, the firm won for Overall Excellence in Operating a Kitchen and Bath Dealership; in 2002, it won for Outstanding Service to the Industry and the Community.  The firm’s designers were also recognized both nationally and locally with a number of kitchen and bath design awards.

In 2005, the firm was recognized by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce as the area’s small business of the year in winning the coveted “Excellence in Business” award.

In 2007, Mark Doman joined the firm as manager of the Kitchen Division, a position he still holds today.

In 2008, Morris Black & Sons celebrated its 100th anniversary with numerous events, including a Kitchen Giveaway Contest, parties for both employees and customers, and a grand kitchen tour.  Morris Black also created a Centennial Celebration Cookbook that raised funds for Valley Youth House.

2010-2020

Throughout the decade, the firm established itself as a significant manufacturer and supplier of commercial casework and architectural millwork in the eastern PA market, increasing its manufacturing footprint to over 10,000 sq. ft. in its state-of-the-art facility.  With expanded capacity and increasing capabilities, the company continued to provide high end custom kitchens and baths for several prestigious luxury high rise apartment buildings in Center City Philadelphia, as well as custom casework for many of the new health care facilities in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

In 2013, Morris Black designed, built, and donated a working kitchen set to PBS Channel 39 in Bethlehem.  The contemporary set was created for filming the cable cooking show “The Chef’s Kitchen,” as well as the show “Cooking for Baby and Me,” produced for the St. Lukes University Health Network.

In 2017, Morris Black Designs completed a major renovation of its kitchen and bath showroom, now widely recognized as the premier showroom of its kind in eastern PA.  In addition to several new fully accessorized displays, the update featured a new customer-friendly interactive selection center.

On its 110th anniversary, in 2018, the company was honored by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce at its annual meeting.  The firm is the longest serving and only original charter member of the Chamber.

In 2019, the company discontinued its sale and distribution of commercial doors and hardware.

2020-TODAY

Morris Black and Sons withstood the crippling effects of the COVD-19 pandemic in 2020, proudly retaining its entire workforce and emerging stronger than ever with renewed focus.

In celebration of its 115th anniversary, Morris Black Designs re-imagined the kitchen of the future and proudly launched is first residential cabinet line, 1908™, manufactured in its Lehigh Valley facility.

Jerry Rotell joined Morris Black in 2022 as manager of the Casework Division.  In 2023, Aaron Baughman arrived to assume management of the casework manufacturing operation.

In 2023, the firm began two major initiatives: the divestiture of its long-standing insulation contracting business and its largest expansion ever of its manufacturing operation.  By 2024, the insulation division was sold, and the company completed a significant investment in its casework business.

The 4th generation of the Black family—Jonathan Black and Debi Levy– now manage the business, with Jon set to assume the position of President in 2025.

Today, Morris Black & Sons is well positioned for the future with renewed strategic focus on its cabinetry businesses—as a premier kitchen and bath remodeler and a leading manufacturer of casework and millwork.  The company is fueled by an exceptional group of co-workers committed to preserving and furthering the reputation of the company.  From a humble start on Water Street in Bethlehem to a large, modern facility in the hub of the Lehigh Valley, the “family” of Morris Black eagerly anticipates the firm’s next milestone… its 120th anniversary!

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