History

FROM MAINEVILLE TO MAIN STREET: HOW ED BAVIS REINVENTED THE RETAIL DRIVE-THRU EXPERIENCE

The story of Bavis Fabacraft starts with an orphan from the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. As he grew, Ed Bavis would synthesize education, skills and life experiences into a business that emphasized craftsmanship and quality in its products while extolling an organizational commitment to community and individuals alike.

After graduating public high school in Cincinnati, Ed put himself through college, studying engineering and business administration. He completed his dissertation on cabinet-making and entered the corporate world working as an engineer.

Ed eventually broke from corporate life to build custom cabinets. His focus, however, began to shift in the late ‘70s when he got his first look at pneumatic tubes. The problems with the tubes were evident to Ed: A subterranean system had to be difficult and costly to service. So he did what any engineer does, and thought of a better way. He developed a modular, overhead delivery system, and just like that, the Autoveyor was born.

Business began to take off from there. Ed would actually haul his Autoveyor prototype from bank to bank so potential customers could see exactly how it worked. As the business grew, engineer Mike Brown joined the team and played a critical role in developing and securing patents for many Bavis products. Mike’s efforts helped turn Ed’s vision into a competitive organization.

A "Pay it Forward" Mentality

Bavis Fabacraft has evolved over time into the organization it is today, offering banks, pharmacies, dispensaries, restaurants and other organizations transaction solutions and drive-thru equipment that elevate their customer experience. Through all of the changes, there has been one cornerstone value that Ed elevates above all else: Bavis Fabacraft was built to help people, and when people are given a chance, they can do incredible things.

Over the years, Ed has helped put hundreds of people through college, many of whom were from disadvantaged backgrounds or orphans themselves, just as Ed was. Many of the vendors that worked with Bavis in the early years were local businesses that simply needed someone to take a chance on them. Ed’s belief in giving a hand up, as oppsed to a handout, has led to countless success stories for individuals and organizations alike.

An Ever-Growing Legacy

Today, Ed is still building and engineering projects on his own time. He still engages with the business he started nearly 60 years ago on a full-time basis, but operates from a distance that affords him the ability to go bass fishing, pilot his aircraft or practice his pistol skills.

After 90-plus years, his commitment to “keep smiling” holds strong; a mantra that’s kept him balanced over decades of learning, working and experiencing life in its fullest form. Those are the values with which Ed started the business that carries his name, and those are the values his business, Bavis Fabacraft, will continue to carry forward for decades to come.