Founding
Bruce Weindruch and Tom West found Informative Design Group (IDG) in Alexandria, Virginia, to create corporate museums and help companies commemorate their history.
First Client
The historic Bank of Bethesda in Bethesda, Maryland, becomes IDG’s first corporate client. 
Move to D.C.
IDG moves to Washington, D.C. 
First Archivist
Riggs Bank becomes a client. Because of the volume of artifacts and documents in the bank’s basement, Bruce and Tom hire IDG’s first archivist. 
First Oral History Program
IDG conducts our first oral history programs—for Marine Midland and Philadelphia National Bank. 
First Archival Assessment
McCormick & Co. and Campbell’s Soup hire IDG to conduct archival assessments. 
Full Corporate History Program
IDG creates our first full corporate history program, including an archives program, an oral history project, audiovisual assets, a publication, an exhibit and an anniversary program, with Mellon Bank. 
International Partnership
While touring spice manufacturing plants and conducting oral history interviews with McCormick officers around the world, IDG employee Phil Auerswald meets with British businessman Dennis Jenks, whose company has recently been purchased by McCormick. Jenks is impressed with IDG and meets with Bruce and Tom, and the three form a partnership. 
London Office
IDG establishes an office in London. 
Co-Founder Departs
Co-founder Tom West leaves IDG.IDG launches our first discovery program for Fireman's Fund Insurance, enabling the company to collect authentic employee stories and memorabilia for use in heritage programs.
Name Change
IDG becomes The History Factory (THF). 
Welcome Wayne
A new corporate logo, known as "Wayne," illustrates the new concept driving the company: THF finds history in its raw form and moves it through the factory building to produce refined products that are useful for our corporate clients. 
SAA
THF joins the Society of American Archivists (SAA). 
Hello, Chantilly
With archival services in high demand, THF moves to Virginia. Our new location includes offices for creative staff members and substantial warehouse space for client archives. 
The Reputation Factor
THF establishes The Reputation Factor to help clients with crisis communications. Bruce Weindruch starts making weekly appearances on CNNfn as a business news commentator. 
New Brand Identity
The History Factory launches a new brand identity. 
Clear Line of Sight™
In keeping with THF’s philosophy, Start with the Future and Work Back™, we develop our Clear Line of Sight™ methodology, which enables clients to plan and execute heritage management programs more effectively. 
LuminARC™
THF unveils LuminARC™, a cloud-based digital archival application developed by the archival services team and web developers. 
The Idea Engine
The Idea Engine, a creative think tank focused on innovations in heritage management, is established in downtown Washington, D.C. 
StoryARC™
THF debuts StoryARC™, a unique methodology that uses classical storytelling techniques to help clients interpret their history. 
First Social Media Campaign
THF launches our first large-scale social media program for Adobe Photoshop. “Behind the Splash Screen” offers a candid look at the people who built Photoshop. 
First Global StoryARC
In our first global StoryARC activation, THF heads to multiple continents to help Whirlpool build a global story platform for its 100th anniversary that includes acquired companies and an international workforce. 
First E-Book
THF produces our first e-book, the award-winning “Making Connections: Time Warner Cable and the Broadband Revolution.” 
Back in D.C.
The History Factory moves our creative staff back to Washington, D.C. 
New Brand Identity
THF rebrands with a more dynamic logo and new tagline. 
Chicago Office
The History Factory opens an office in Chicago. 
Bruce Weindruch Published
Bruce Weindruch publishes “Start with the Future and Work Back: A Heritage Management Manifesto.” 
New HQ
The History Factory Washington moves into our new, state-of-the art space in the Lion Building in Washington, D.C. 
The Anniversary Marketing Summit
THF launches The Anniversary Marketing Summit, a semiannual workshop to provide marketing and communications leaders the tools they need to plan and execute a milestone celebration. 
New Brand Identity
We rebrand as History Factory (HF), reinforcing our focus on the far-reaching value of historical assets across marketing and corporate communications. 
Celebrating 40 Years
History Factory celebrates our 40th anniversary. We uses our own trove of authentic content to convey our brand story across channels to internal and external audiences. 
Wayne’s Cup
Jason Dressel is the inaugural winner of the Wayne’s Cup award, a recognition awarded to a History Factory person for outstanding performance and embodying the spirit of the agency. 
Real-Time History
History Factory launches the COVID-19 Corporate Memory Project to capture and document how the business sector responds to the global pandemic. 
Remote Story Capture
History Factory launches our first Remote Story Capture program. The self-directed smartphone video app allows clients to record the stories of those affected by the pandemic. 
“Perils of the Past”
In the wake of the George Floyd racial justice protests in summer 2020, many companies discontinue heritage brands with insensitive origins and iconography. In response, History Factory publishes “Perils of the Past,” a research report about the perceptions of consumers, institutional investors and C-suite members regarding companies’ past actions that are inconsistent with today’s ethical standards. 
Congratulations, Chris
Chris Juhasz is the recipient of the second Wayne’s Cup award. 
“The Succession Trap”
History Factory publishes the research report “The Succession Trap: How the C-suite thinks about leadership transitions and why it’s wrong,” a survey of 160 executives that explores the role institutional memory plays in succession planning. 
Dressel named President
As part of the Next Generation initiative, the company announces Jason Dressel as president. 
PR Week finalist
History Factory is a finalist for PR Week’s Non-traditional Agency of the Year. 
Congratulations, Mary
Mary Beaumont is the recipient of the third Wayne’s Cup award. 
A new era
Rick Beller and Tim Schantz retire from the executive team, and a new era begins, led by Jason Dressel (CEO), Alan Maites (Chief Solutions Officer) and Adam Kirshon (COO). 
Archives report
History Factory publishes the research report “6 Corporate Archives Challenges and Solutions for Archivists, Users, and Decision Makers,” informed by a survey of more than 150 companies. 
History Factory AMS
History Factory launches our archival management system (AMS), a first-of-its-kind enterprise-grade technology that integrates physical archival asset and digital asset management. 
New archives facility
After 27 years in one building, we move our archival services into a new, purpose-built facility, the Archives and Digitization Lab. 
Drum Awards finalist
History Factory and Verizon are a Drum Awards finalist for Best Employee Engagement Campaign. 
CASDAM
History Factory becomes a collaborator with the DAM Capability Model, bringing an archival perspective to assessing how assets of historical value are stored and accessed in the long term. 
Congratulations, Sara
Sara Eagin is the recipient of the fourth Wayne’s Cup award. 
New brand
History Factory updates our branding for a new era, taking inspiration for our new logo from a sign on an early History Factory building. 
Stevie Award
For our work telling Verizon’s story across multiple platforms, History Factory wins a Gold Stevie® for Branded Content Campaign of the Year in the 2023 American Business Awards®.