Harrison’s Paint Assets Acquired; New Owners Resume Manufacturing
Harrison, based in Canton, had been sold to Cook & Dunn Paint Corp. of New Jersey in 1998, which in turn sold Harrison’s stores and industrial division to Perry & Derrick Inc. of Cincinnati in early 1999. In a news announcement, the new buyers said Cook & Dunn filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2000, while Perry & Derrick closed the former Harrison’s stores last year.
The buyers are Mark Lauber, who has taken the position of CEO, and Patrick Lauber, who was named president of Harrison Paint. The company said it plans to produce a full line of paint products for professional, retail and industrial customers, with distribution through independent dealers in 27 states in the eastern United States. Other management personnel include Executive Vice President Thomas W. Schmidt, formerly vice president and general manager of the company, the new owners said.
The Laubers, who are brothers, previously owned companies involved in the manufacture of industrial equipment and plastic products. Mark Lauber said the new Harrison’s ownership is confident about the company’s future prospects. “We look forward to returning Harrison Paint to the stable and consistent relationships it enjoyed with employees and customers for almost 90 years,” he said. The company was founded in 1911 in Cleveland, and moved to Canton in the 1930s after being purchased by Gordon G. Walters. His son, Roger, headed the company until it was sold in 1998.
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