Dearborn Brass
It all
started in 1896 on Dearborn Street in Chicago when Fred Erikson and Louis
Klubber began a small manufacturing company to produce cast brass faucets and
drain parts. The company moved out of Chicago to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1901. In
1929, Ezak Cohn, became the majority owner and eventually turned operations
over to two of his sons, Nate and Edward. Under their leadership, local
business began to grow into the national market.
After WWII, operations were expanded
with the change from cast brass to tubular brass products. The manufacturing
process was modernized by replacing a hand plating operation with a
revolutionary automated plating line. Building on that spirit of innovation,
Dearborn became one of the first companies to develop and manufacture plastic
tubular and bath wastes. During the Cohn brothers tenure, the famous Dearborn
checkerboard box was developed into a recognizable branding element that is
still an identifying feature today.
In 1964, the Cohn family purchased
Texas Tubular Products Company. Eight years later, Beatrice Foods Company
acquired both Dearborn Brass and Texas Tubular Products Company. This
acquisition brought to Dearborn an infusion of finances and a stronger national
reputation. Included in the Beatrice Foods family were four plumbing related
companies, Chicago Specialty, Wrightway Manufacturing, Anchor Brass and
Hoov-R-Line.
In l987, Beatrice Foods went through
a leveraged buyout. The Plumbing Group became part of EII Holdings for a short
period of time which was eventually purchased by American Brands. In 1990,
American Brands (currently known as Fortune Brands) purchased Moen Incorporated
a high quality faucet manufacturer.