In 1900, Oscar C. Rixson, a Finnish architect, started a manufacturing company in Chicago, Illinois. His first products were surface door closers, window and sash hardware — any products to add quality to the building boom that was occurring, at the time. After a few years, Rixson and his engineers developed products that were concealed. The designer in him wanted to let the beauty of the buildings shine through so he created closers that went into the floor, totally out of view. Today, Rixson offers customized solutions for challenging design requirements and is the leading North American provider of concealed closers, pivots and mechanical/electromechanical door holders.