Our Story
Our Mission
We achieve our goals by providing the marketplace with high quality, aesthetically pleasing products of leather and synthetic materials, which offer mobility and protection to the articles carry and convenience to those who use them.
Our Focus is on listening closely to customer wants, developing innovative products, empowering our people and instilling a mindset of continuous improvement. We believe that doing business in this manner, along with being socially and environmentally responsible, will result in recognition as an industry leader, growth opportunities for our employees, and a genuine sense of pride throughout the organization.
Founder Anton William Otrusina
Anton William Otrusina was born in Bohemia in the year 1913. Being born so close to World War I and being brought up during it, the war impacted the way he lived. The greatest impact came when he lost his father, Vincent, on the Italian front. Afterward, Anton’s mother decided it would be best to move to the United States as soon as possible. In 1926, they made the move. Shortly thereafter, the Great Depression hit, which taught Anton to live with close attention to his finances. As World War II began to ramp up, he got a job working at Rolik Manufacturing, creating leather goods for the United States Army. Here, he got his start with leather working. As 1956 rounded the corner, Anton, along with his brother Joseph, opened Brookfield Leather Goods. The company provided seats and saddlebags for Indian Motorcycles and Sam Brown Hardware. After six years Anton decided that it was time to part ways and he founded AW Enterprises, Inc.
The first location was the sixth floor of a building on Clinton Ave in Chicago, and the company would remain in Chicago for all of its functions, although changing buildings. The same year that the company opened, Galvin Manufacturing, now Motorola, contacted Anton asking for a pouch for a new device called a ‘Walkie-Talkie’. This made AW Enterprises the original creator of the two-way radio case.
Anton continued to push the company forward, working heavily with Motorola and improving upon design after design until he passed the company in 1978 to his son – Edward.
President Edward Otrusina
Anton William Otrusina was born in Bohemia in the year 1913. Being born so close to World War I and being brought up during it, the war impacted the way he lived. The greatest impact came when he lost his father, Vincent, on the Italian front. Afterward, Anton’s mother decided it would be best to move to the United States as soon as possible. In 1926, they made the move. Shortly thereafter, the Great Depression hit, which taught Anton to live with close attention to his finances. As World War II began to ramp up, he got a job working at Rolik Manufacturing, creating leather goods for the United States Army. Here, he got his start with leather working. As 1956 rounded the corner, Anton, along with his brother Joseph, opened Brookfield Leather Goods. The company provided seats and saddlebags for Indian Motorcycles and Sam Brown Hardware. After six years Anton decided that it was time to part ways and he founded AW Enterprises, Inc.
The first location was the sixth floor of a building on Clinton Ave in Chicago, and the company would remain in Chicago for all of its functions, although changing buildings. The same year that the company opened, Galvin Manufacturing, now Motorola, contacted Anton asking for a pouch for a new device called a ‘Walkie-Talkie’. This made AW Enterprises the original creator of the two-way radio case.
Anton continued to push the company forward, working heavily with Motorola and improving upon design after design until he passed the company in 1978 to his son – Edward.
Excellence Always
At AW enterprise we pride ourselves on excellence and taking care of our customers, always. We believe in manufacturing the highest quality products at competitive prices while delivering the best customer service
Our Team
“I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.”
-Abraham Lincoln