Patterson Companies, Inc.

Gold was in short supply in the mid-1930s because of the Great Depression, coupled with the United States Gold Reserve Act. So, using alloys for fillings became more common. Always looking to advance the industry, Patterson Dental created Child-Dent, an alloy just for children, with a 15-minute set time. “Time tested; mouth proven” said the brochure sent to dentists promoting the product, which also featured smiling kids dressed as a sailor, Shirley Temple and a future business executive. Times have changed, as have dental needs. But Patterson Dental's commitment to children’s dental health hasn’t.

Welcome to the team!

Whether it's a local rep for day-to-day questions or an entire team for a bigger project, our customers always have a go-to person for questions and troubleshooting. With dedicated teams to make it easy and convenient for you, we're there when you need us most.

As part of our Giving Week festivities, employees met at our Minnesota HQ to create puppy enrichment toys and kids meal kits for Can Do Canines Assistance Dogs and The Open Door. With more than 45 volunteers, employees made dozens of training tools and supplies kits for service dogs in training and packed more than 400 meal kits for kids in Dakota County that are facing food insecurity. The #Patterson Foundation will be donating two $2,000 donations to these nonprofits as a part of its Dollars for Doers program. Take a look at the volunteers (and Dog!) in action!

We're proud to once again be included on this list! Come work with us: https://lnkd.in/dUrPmMv

On February 1, 1900, at the age of 14, Dave O’Dea started with the M.F. Patterson Dental Supply Co. as a messenger (child labor laws wouldn't be enacted for another 38 years). Things went well for Dave! He delivered packages to the dentists and laboratories in St. Paul, Minnesota, in addition to opening dental merchandise shipments from manufacturers. Three years later, when Dave was 17, company founder M.F. Patterson fired him for some minor reason which no one, including Dave, could recall. Dave didn’t take M.F. seriously and the next morning he returned to work at 7:00 a.m. as usual. Sometime during the morning, M.F. noticed that Dave was going about his work as usual. M.F. walked over to him and in his crisp, abrupt way said, “I thought I fired you yesterday.” Dave, in his quiet way, replied, “You did, but I needed the job, so I came back to work.” And with those few words, the incident was closed. Dave remained an employee of the Patterson organization under M.F. Patterson, John Patterson and Bill Patterson, the three Patterson family presidents of the company, working his way up from messenger to vice president and director, always in the St. Paul office. A 1946 manager meeting booklet is dedicated to Dave “for whose many years of faithful service to our company, this program is respectfully dedicated.” With his quiet yet firm manner he “guided many to success in the profession and has perpetually directed his efforts toward maintaining high standards in this company as well as in all other things whereby he has acquired the esteem of everyone.” “To say that Dave is beloved is to make a simple statement of fact. This affection is quite normal and natural, because everybody thinks well of one who is forever doing for others. Dave has that something in his relations with people that does away with friction and misunderstanding. It is a quality still undefined after an inventory has listed other definable attributes.” Dave retired exactly 56 years later, on February 1, 1956.

Thank you to Patterson Veterinary Supply Territory Manager Katie Bean for going above and beyond to aid animals – and the humans who care for them – by organizing a large-scale donation to an animal shelter serving as an evacuation site for animals displaced by the California fires. Katie, who serves our customers in California’s Central Coast, also owns Creekside Pet Boarding in Arroyo Grande, California, along with her husband, Sean. They mobilized their team at the boarding facility to collect pet supply donations from local vet clinics, medical supply samples from vendors, and additional supplies from the community. They then loaded up their vehicles and made a three-hour trek to drop off the impressive collection of donations at Agoura Hills Animal Shelter. Besides being special because of their work to take in evacuated pets from the Malibu and Palisades fires, Agoura Hills Animal Shelter is also close to Katie’s heart because it is the place where her animal care journey began, by way of volunteering with them in high school. It is also the organization through which she adopted her first dog. (Her name is Kirra, and she’s 15 years old and still living her best life!) After reflecting on this initiative, Katie notes, “The fire has hit harder than I thought, as it’s affecting an area I know well. I am so amazed at the outpouring of support from my community, my team, and my family. We collected more donations than I ever expected and I’m thankful for everyone who donated and made this happen.” Amidst the destruction left in the wake of the fires, we are heartened to encounter stories like these, of individuals and communities coming together selflessly to make a powerfully positive impact!

The #PattersonFoundation had an incredible 2024 by donating $1.46 million to 140+ nonprofits in the US and Canada, an increase of $160,000 from 2023. We're thankful to be a part of positive growth within our communities and look forward to what next year has in store. Thank you to our Patterson people, committee members and board members for helping us make such an impactful difference!

Our TakeFIVE team hosted a volunteer event at our Minnesota headquarters yesterday to make blankets for the pups over at No Dog Left Behind!

Wishing you all a meaningful Martin Luther King Jr. Day as we honor his legacy of equality and justice for all.