Jasper Desk to be acquired by Jasper Group
Jasper Desk, touted as the oldest wood office furniture manufacturer in the United States, will be acquired by Jasper Group.
According to Jim Arvin, President of Jasper Desk, the pending move is something he feels is best for the company, the employees and its stockholders.
The company currently employs about 65 individuals.
“It has just become more difficult to operate at our size in today’s economy,” Arvin explained. “Joining with a larger group is, I think, necessary to continue.”
Jasper Group opened its doors in 1929 as Jasper Seating Company, and changed their name to Jasper Group in 2009 to reflect the wide spectrum of product offering included in its brand portfolio. The Group finished a merger with Jofco, itself a 90-year-old company, in January of this year.
Jasper Desk has provided furniture for many high-profile individuals. President John F. Kennedy regularly sat at a Jasper Desk to sign bills into law.
In 2002, Jasper Desk provided office furniture to the damaged Pentagon after the hijacked airliner slammed into the then 60-year-old building.
The firm was founded as the Alles Brothers Furniture Company in Jasper in 1876 while the nation was celebrating its centennial anniversary. It was later renamed Jasper Furniture and Desk Co. until finally settling on Jasper Desk Company in 1913.
The company patented the design of the dust-free roll curtain used on roll-top desks in 1890. The first patent ever issued to an operating plant in the United States. The desks were popular in manufacturing environments to prevent dust and debris from settling on typewriters and other office supplies.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the two companies announced that Jasper Group looks forward to continuing the long tradition of Jasper Desk as a producer of high-quality, wood office furniture. Including the use of American-made or manufactured materials in all of its wood furniture products.
The company has remained under the ownership of its founding families for five generations. The Gramelspacher family, one of the founding families, is currently the majority shareholder of Jasper Desk.
The final transaction is subject to various closing conditions, but according to the press release, both parties are hopeful that the transaction will be completed within the next 30 to 45 days. The company will continue operations under the Jasper Desk name under Jasper Group ownership.
