From Salvage to Space

At the time Robert Edmund joined the company, an attempt was made by father and son, and later by Robert, to grow the consumer side of the business, but it was unsuccessful. In the early 1980s, Edmund Scientific lost money three consecutive years, and Robert Edmund undertook a complete review of the business. He concluded that not much future existed in the consumer area. He discovered the lifetime value of the hormone-ravaged science student was short; kids would order product for a school science project, and then, in the words of the senior Edmund, “I lose my best customers to young ladies.”