Whitlam's Past, Present & Future J.C. Whitlam III, the boy on the far left in this photo, was president of the company from 1929-1981. He is standing next to his father, company founder J.C. Whitlam II (who died in 1931). Celebrating its 105 year anniversary, Whitlam Paint Company is one of those classic independent family businesses of the painting industry, a breed whose numbers, alas, have sorely decreased over the past 30 years, especially among the manufacturers. Whitlam's past history, present health and dynamic condition well illustrates that it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. The company has enjoyed over 45 consecutive years of increased sales and over 50 consecutive years without a drop of red ink. ESTABLISHED IN 1900 The history of J.C. Whitlam Manufacturing Company began in 1894, when an eighteen year old Canadian farm boy, John C. Whitlam II, with only $ .14 in his pocket, immigrated to the United States to seek his fortune. He arrived in Cleveland, Ohio where he worked for several paint companies over the next 6 years. While there he became quite knowledgeable about paints and their formulations. The company started in Cleveland in 1900. In 1912, Mr. Whitlam moved the business to Wadsworth, Ohio, where it is still located. (Wadsworth is a town of 16,500, located 35 miles south of Cleveland and 12 miles west of Akron.) The company grew steadily in the manufacturing of paint and coatings. In World War I, the armed forces, principally the U.S. Navy, pre-empted virtually the company's entire production of Tyte-Unyte. This was also the case in World War II, when this modest firm, making primers and top coats, operated under an A-1 priority, right along with the largest defense plants . . . but that's getting ahead of the story. With the collapse of the construction industry in the late 1920's, the company's fortunes started to deteriorate. The Great Depression was starting to take it's toll. The company was falling into dire straits, being heavily in debt to the bank. The situation was so bad it could hardly get worse. But it did! Mr. Whitlam died in 1931, at the absolute bottom of the depression, with nobody to carry on but his sixteen year old son, J.C. Whitlam III. And carry on he did, making him one of the youngest presidents ever in this industry. "Those were grim times," recalls J.C. "We were down to three employees, including myself. No money, no business, no nothing, and worst of all, no control of our destiny." The bank was the administrator of the estate as well as a past due creditor. And with a sixteen year old kid as president, they exercised total and very negative control. "If we wanted to buy something, we would have to make out the purchase order, take it to the bank, tell them why we needed it and implore their signature," says Whitlam. "Often we didn't get it, even when the need for the material was desperate. It was the same way with payables. They had to sign all checks." The bank wanted to liquidate the company and salvage anything they could from the wreck. The young president had many bitter, humiliating battles with them just to keep his father's lifetime of work alive. To force him into agreeing to a liquidation, they kept cutting his salary. Finally, it got down to $10.80 a week, "and this was all - I mean the absolute all - that my mother and I had to live on for two years." Then, woe on woe, in 1932 came the banking moratorium and the state banking commission took over the bank. This meant that all purchases, payments and actions now had to be approved by a bureaucracy. This desperate period was a traumatic experience to the young businessman. It influenced his business philosophy throughout his tenure. "By 1937, we had the bank paid off and I was my own man at last. I swore that I would never again allow this business to get under the thumb of any outsider, particularly a bank." "Independent" was a fervent word to J.C., because what it meant was the very basis of his character and values. One has the feeling he would sooner starve as an independent than earn a million dollars a year as any man's subordinate. Since 1980, J.C. Whitlam Manufacturing Company has experienced progressive changes in both sales and management. In 1981, J.C. Whitlam III, who had long been the driving force for the company, retired from the post of President of the company. J.C. Whitlam III remained very active in company affairs, serving as Chairman of the Board, until his passing in 1993. Currently, the company officers are Jack C. Whitlam IV, President, Douglas A. Whitlam, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark A. Whitlam, Vice President of Sales and Stephen G. Carey, Vice President of Operations. Jack C. Whitlam IV has been with the company 38 years. He attended Miami University and the University of Akron before coming into the business and is now President. He spends about one third of his time on the road, primarily working with the Manufacturers Representatives, making joint calls on wholesalers. In recent years, he has often appeared in the company's advertising to symbolize the company's close contact with it's distributors and it's responsiveness to their needs. Douglas A. Whitlam is a graduate of Ohio University and holds a masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Akron. He has been with the company 33 years and is now Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. His principal responsibilities are in administration and finance. Mark A. Whitlam, the fourth generation of the business, has been with the company for 11 years. He graduated from the University of Akron in 1988 with a business degree in Marketing. He is currently following in his father's footsteps as Vice President of Sales and is responsible for the Central Region of the United States and Canada. The fourth member of the operating management team is Stephen G. Carey. He is also a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in Industrial Marketing. He has been with the company for 10 years and became Vice President of Operations in 1995. J.C. Whitlam Manufacturing Company is excited about celebrating it's 105 Year Anniversary! And they are looking forward to setting the pace with quality products well into the next millennium. |
