After moving out of his family’s garage, George Nissen set up shop at 200 A Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The kangaroo logo adorns the front and side of the building.
The factory on A Avenue no longer exists since it was torn down to make way for a growing Cedar Rapids community.
You can see the two round Nissen signs in this photo; one is on the side of the building and the other is on the front.
This is George Nissen in front of the new Nissen headquarters on “bring your pet to work day.” Just kidding, this photo was probably taken on one of the many weekends George would go in to the office when it was quiet and he could get more work done.
Notice the logo on the building, the kangaroo is still there.
Car enthusiasts will recognize George’s car as a 1960s Chevrolet Corvair, still the only automobile designed in the USA that was mass-produced and had an air cooled, rear-mounted engine.
George was an “early adopter” as evidenced by his ownership of the Corvair, a car that was innovative but poorly designed. Early adopters are known for being enthusiastic about new ideas and willing to take risks. That is absolutely George Nissen when it comes to the trampoline!
Nissen Company logo
The jumping kangaroo was the first logo used by the Nissen Trampoline Company.
The kangaroo was prominent on the sign in front of the manufacturing plant, used on letterhead, and of course, stenciled on all trampoline beds that made their way out of Cedar Rapids Iowa to all parts of the world.
The logo featured on our Stories page is the logo we use for our T-shirt line. We added the terms "original" and "since 1941" in order to draw attention to the authentic legacy George Nissen left and our connection to the long-standing history of the Nissen Trampoline Company.
1941 is significant since it was the year George Nissen submitted his patent application for his trampoline idea to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent request was approved by the USPTO in 1945.
