In 1987, Fred Kremer, the CEO of Hancor Inc., a drainage pipe manufacturer located in Findlay, Ohio, had a vision. Fred saw a growing need for extruded sheet materials in the engraving market. He established a working relationship with Don and Audrey Morrison of Rowland, Incorporated in New Berlin, Connecticut. With this partnership in place, he acquired a plastic sheet extrusion line and formed the Hancor Sheet Division.

In 1993, Fred purchased the sole sales and marketing rights for the awards and engraving market from Rowland. He created a new company, established as a separate division of Hancor, and named it Rowmark.

With a strong domestic presence, Rowmark set its sights on the growing international market. In 1996, Rowmark established a distribution warehouse in the Netherlands to respond to increasing European sales. Rowmark was on its way to becoming the worldwide leader in extruded sheet materials for the engraving market.

In 1997, Fred came to a crossroads. He had a greater vision for what Rowmark could become. In a display of unwavering belief in the employees of Rowmark and its growth potential, Fred resigned his position as CEO of Hancor and purchased Rowmark outright from Hancor in October that year. In addition, he purchased a building for Rowmark in the nearby Findlay Tall Timbers Industrial Park. This new, state-of-the-art facility would give Rowmark the room it needed to grow and prosper. Until the building was complete, Rowmark would continue to share facilities with Hancor.

Interior construction of the facility continued throughout the fall of 1997 as Fred’s vision took shape. Then, on December 20, just four months before Rowmark would begin the move into its new home, Fred Kremer and two Rowmark pilots were tragically killed in a plane crash in Findlay. Despite the difficult loss, the employees of Rowmark rallied around Fred’s plan for the company and pressed on with the intended move. The Kremer Family, who to this point had not been active with the business, picked up where Fred left off, fully supporting Rowmark and its employees.

On September 2, 1998, Rowmark’s new facility in Findlay, Ohio was officially declared open. With room to add additional extrusion lines and the ability to store an abundance of raw materials, Rowmark was poised to enter a period of extraordinary growth. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place a day later, when the Kremer Family and Rowmark Board of Directors announce that Duane Jebbett has been named President and COO of Rowmark. A strong leader and protégé of Fred’s vision, Duane was the perfect person to guide Rowmark into the 21st century.

In 2007, Clearview Capital, in conjunction with Rowmark management, purchased the company from the Kremer family. Clearview Capital, located in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, has continued Rowmark along its path of continued growth and product line expansion and has invested greatly in the company.

Rowmark’s facility now contains more than 75,000 square feet, housing multiple extrusion lines, press, lamination and hot stamp capabilities, six storage silos and a warehouse dedicated sign materials, a finished goods warehouse, and the company’s administrative offices.