Press Release
Date: January 25, 2010

Hospitality and Gaming Industries Mourn Passing of George Gasser

George Gasser, former C.E.O. and youngest of the three founding brothers of Gasser Chair Company, died last week at age 80 in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. 

In the mid-1940’s, George and two of his brothers, Louis and Roger, set up shop in their industrial hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, in a family-owned, 3-story horse barn. With enduring work ethics, machinist skills and experience in working with a relatively new material at that time, aluminum, they set about offering their services to local companies for such jobs as assembling aluminum storm windows and screens, welding aluminum beer kegs and fabricating custom, aluminum parts for a prototype one-man helicopter.

Driven to develop their own product line, they began designing and manufacturing aluminum-frame dinette sets and soon founded Gasser Chair in early 1946.  With minor success selling these chairs and tables close to home, a young George Gasser loaded a few chairs into the back of his car and headed to Chicago in 1948 to exhibit at the National Restaurant Show. Attendees were intrigued by Gasser’s highly durable, lightweight chairs and at the close of the show, George left Chicago with a nice order, several good leads and a whole new market to develop.
George enjoyed helping people and, in the process, established many friendships across the country and overseas.  He enjoyed the challenge of solving a customer’s seating problem, and his office door was always open for his employees to stop in.

Today, Gasser Chair Company remains a family owned business. The second and third generations of the Gasser family, teamed with some of the finest skilled and dedicated people in all aspects of the business, are guided by the founders' original principles.  Together they proudly continue the tradition and philosophy of developing innovative solutions to customers' seating requirements and skillfully manufacturing the finest quality seating.

George is survived by his wife, Janet, eight children, eighteen grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

For more information, please contact:

Jim Bush
Director of Marketing
Gasser Chair Company
330.759.2234
jbush@gasserchair.com