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. In the 90’s, the addition of bathroom accessories and grab bars rounded out Dearborn’s offerings, making the plumbing collection one of the largest in the industry.

In 2002, DBHL Inc., a subsidiary of Oatey Company, purchased Dearborn Brass and Hoov-R-Line from Moen. Today, Dearborn Brass and Hoov-R-Line are still premium brands offered exclusively through Oateyscs distribution.

Despite an extensive product offering and a dynamic history, Dearborn Brass has been able to maintain the reputation of offering the highest quality solutions with unparalleled customer service. We are extremely grateful for our customer’s support and loyalty thoughout the years, and will continue to strive to meet the needs of the industry with the same spirit of excellence that was present 113 years ago.