View of a secretary using a Termatrex Information Retrieval System at the Crompton & Knowles Research Center in Gibraltar, Pennsylvania. The system utilized punch-cards and a chemical identification code devised by chemist James Feeman to provide ready access to previous research results.

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.