I think Pauling used to have a product line called Circle F. I still see a lot of them in old work.
They seemed like a decent product to me at the time, but I think they were already struggling and in decline by the time I entered the trade in the early 1980’s, just as many other companies and the auto industry were then. I guess President Reagan’s post recession trickle down economics weren’t trickling fast enough or just came to late for them.
I seem to remember that just before Paulding disappeared a few years later, there was a big problem with their porcelain pull-chain and keyless light fixtures.
The solder that was being used to hold the leads on the lamp sockets was melting and was being blamed for causing fires. I don’t know if there was a formal recall or not, but I do remember being told to return several cases of porcelain fixtures to the supply house for exchange because of this, probably around 1984 or 1985. Maybe this was the final straw for them financially.
