About Us: History

The Business of History

Founded in 1842 in Cincinnati by French immigrant brothers, the Verdin Company has always been led by family members who pass from one generation to the next their commitment to quality, customer service and old-world craftsmanship.

Verdin installed its first product, a tower clock, in 1842 at Old St. Mary's Church in Cincinnati. When Francois de Sales Verdin, one of the original founders, turned the business over to his son, Alois Nicholas Verdin, he began a 160-year tradition of successfully passing the business from one generation to the next.

Innes Theophilus (I.T.) Verdin, the third generation of Verdins to run the business, opened up new doors for the company in 1927 when he invented the first electric bell ringer used in America. Prior to this breakthrough, all bells were rung by hand.

In 1934, leadership of the company passed to Robert Verdin, Sr., Ralph Verdin, and Forrest Verdin. Together, they modernized the company's products and continued the trend set by I.T. Verdin of introducing electrification to many installation that were manually operated.

Today, the company is led by the fifth generation of Verdins - cousins Robert J. Verdin (Chief Executive), James R. Verdin (President), and David E. Verdin (Vice President). Like their family members before them, today's generation leads the company forward by blending technological innovation with old world craftsmanship to create the finest products in the industry.