Arnold O. Beckman, a California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California alumnus and now the successful founder of Beckman Instruments and Helipot Corporation, became a benefactor furnishing Boller and Chivens startup finances to be able to acquire machinery and equipment.

Harry Boller and Clyde Chivens formed their partnership in 1946 naming it Boller and Chivens. The company was founded to design, manufacture, and install high quality precision instruments.

Boller and Chivens leased one-half of a lower floor of a building at 1018 Mission St in South Pasadena, California, to begin their company. Arnold Beckman would stop in at least once a month and inquire if every was going well and inquire if any funds were need to continue in the business.

Boller and Chivens continued affiliations with their Alma Mater, Cal Tech, and it gave them a multitude of contacts for many of their first endeavors in their new business.

Boller and Chivens started contracting jobs that were outside the range of the normal job shops that started up after WW II.

Boller and Chivens then became involved with jobs that were highly scientific in nature.
The business continued growing with more and more customers. Boller and Chivens then leased the other half of a lower floor of the building doubling their shop area.

With more added growth, they constructed an added area for office space and an engineering annex at the rear of the building.

Next, A Major Expansion