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The Verdin Company Acquires Canterbury International,
an industry leader in architectural site furnishings for over 50 years.
CINCINNATI—June 17, 2010—/PRNews/-- The Verdin Company announced today it has acquired Canterbury International, a privately-held company based in Los Angeles, California, and a leader in manufacturing architectural site furnishings. The Verdin Company, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is recognized as the preeminent manufacturer and installer of clocks, cast bells, carillons, glockenspiels, and other musical instruments.
“It’s a great fit for us. Canterbury’s product line will enhance our bell towers, clock towers, and street clocks,” said Jim Verdin, president of The Verdin Company. “One of Canterbury’s strengths is its people and its ability to design and produce custom pieces for architects. We have worked together on projects for a long time and have always admired how Canterbury combines quality, durability, and artistry.”
Canterbury International was founded in 1949 by Larry Snyder. Before starting Canterbury, Snyder worked for the Bulova Watch Company and for Tiffany’s in New York City. After moving to Los Angeles, he created Canterbury by manufacturing ornamental pieces and architectural furnishings for the first enclosed retail shopping malls.
Today, Canterbury manufactures fine benches, bollards, trash receptacles, seats, tables and chairs, planters, tree grates, bike racks, fountains, bronze monuments and other site amenities. Canterbury is recognized as a premier manufacturer of architectural metalwork for landscape architects, landscape designers, city planners and developers.
“Jim and I have been friends for years and when I decided to step back, I knew my company would be in good hands,” said Snyder. “I respect their vision and focus on quality. We look forward to being a part of the Verdin family and build on our years of success.”
To learn more about Canterbury International and The Verdin Company’s products and services, visit: www.canterburyintl.com and www.verdin.com.
Contact us to receive the new Canterbury International catalog. A valuable source of landscape furnishing ideas as well as technical information.
About Canterbury International
Canterbury International, a leading supplier of architectural site furnishings, has been providing architects, city planners, and developers with design solutions and quality products for nearly half a century. Canterbury International offers an enormous selection of traditional and one-of-a-kind architectural furnishings. Canterbury’s own design team can provide major design solutions or can produce your designs from project concept development to completion. Canterbury has installations in over 20 countries worldwide as well as hundreds of major cities in the United States.
The Verdin Company Unveils New Sonata Carillon
New Touch Screen Makes It Even Easier to Enjoy The Beautiful Sound of Cast Bronze Bells
CINCINNATI—September 15, 2009—The Verdin Company (http://www.verdin.com) today introduced the new Sonata™ digital carillon featuring a unique 7-inch color touch screen. Users can enjoy the true sound of real bells, hymns, and a wide variety of musical selections with the touch of a finger. The Sonata digital carillon uses a high resolution display and easy to use, menu-driven programming to provide the ultimate system for ringing bells.
The Sonata by Verdin is a versatile, customizable carillon system. Using the latest technology, Verdin has digitally reproduced, with the highest audio fidelity, the sound of cast bronze bells in three distinct voices: Traditional Cast Bronze Bells, Bells with Harp Accompaniment, and American Bells. Users can easily arrange and schedule their bells and musical selections to their individual needs.
“The Sonata by Verdin ushers in a whole new generation of features by combining sound quality with state-of-the-art touch screen technology,” said Jim Verdin, Verdin’s President. “People are going to be amazed at how easy it is to operate and how beautiful the bells sound.”
The Sonata by Verdin features an extensive library of hymns, seasonal and general music, and bell peals. The Sonata is the first carillon to feature dedicated buttons on a color touch screen display, providing a simple, convenient way to instantly ring bells or play music.
“It’s our most exciting and easiest to use digital carillon yet,” said Tom Hovey, Verdin’s Carillon Product Manager. “The Sonata by Verdin is perfect for adding the warm, rich tones of bells and seasonal music to any church or community.”
The new Sonata Carillon will begin shipping October 1, 2009. The Sonata is packaged as a complete system (7-inch color touch screen controller, professional amplifier, high output speakers, wireless remote control unit, locking cabinet, and Verdin installation and guarantee) or configured to meet the customer’s needs.
Call Tom Hovey, Verdin’s Carillon Product Manager, at 800-543-0488, ext. 1279, for a brochure or a complimentary demonstration by a local Verdin representative.
Church Bells To Ring Again on Mt. Adams
Holy Cross-Immaculata Project to Restore Church Bells
March 6, 2009--Holy Cross-Immaculata Church in Mt. Adams today announced plans to restore their three cast bronze church bells that are in urgent need of repair. The 149 year old bell tower was silenced in 2008 because the equipment that houses and rings the bells has become dangerously fragile and in need of replacement.
“The church has played a major role in so many Catholic and non-Catholic lives in Greater Cincinnati. This is a wonderful occasion for our church and the community,” said the Rev. Martin Moran III, pastor of Holy Cross-Immaculata Church. “The bells and church history connect with so many people.”
The church is raising donations to revive the bell sounds by Easter services next month. Total cost of the project is under $75,000. Half of the funds needed to restore the church bells have already been donated thanks to major gifts by several community and business leaders.
How To Give:
Make checks payable to:
Holy Cross-Immaculata Church
And send to:
Bell Restoration Fund
30 Guido Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Donate Online:
Visit www.hciparish.org to donate online using credit card or debit card. Click on the ‘pledge’ button on the main home page.
Questions:
Email us at bells@hciparish.org or call Jim Steiner at 513-684-0101.
Each of the three church bells ring in a different tone and range in size from 1600 pounds to 500 pounds. The bells will ring for the first time since last year, on Thursday, April 9, 2009, after the blessing of the steps by The Most Reverend Daniel Pilarczyk, Archbishop of Cincinnati. The community and church members will gather at the church bell tower promptly at 3:30 p.m. to share in the blessing of the steps and hear the glorious sounds of the restored church bells ring out again. The church bell restoration and rebuilding of the steps will be completed in time to celebrate the church’s 150 year anniversary.
Jim Steiner, a Mt. Adams resident and historian, sees the church bells fulfilling an important role in the city’s downtown.
“It’s giving the church a voice again. Making people aware that the church is here, both in sight and sound,” said Steiner.
Larry Schumacher, president of Schumacher Dugan Construction, looks forward to hearing the bells ring again.
“The call to worship became one of the hallmarks of the church bells. As an altar boy I enjoyed ringing the church bells by pulling the rope,” said Schumacher.
The church bells and ringing equipment will be restored by The Verdin Company of Cincinnati. The Verdin Company, a 166-year-old fifth generation, family-owned Cincinnati firm, originally installed and electrified all three bells. Company records show the largest bell was installed in 1860 and the two smaller bells were added in 1903 for $350.
Although the bells are designed to last for centuries, the bolts and equipment that hold and ring the bells have become corroded-- making them unsafe to ring. In addition to the equipment that holds the bells, the clappers will be restored or replaced.
“The bronze clappers, which strike the bell, have become loose and flattened. They’re not hitting the right strike point,” said Jim Verdin, president, The Verdin Company.
CHURCH HISTORY OF HOLY CROSS-IMMACULATA: PRAYING OF THE STEPS
The church was built in 1859 just before the Civil War for a German congregation in the city’s Mt. Adams neighborhood. The church has served since 1860 as a pilgrimage church, where on Good Friday the faithful ascend 94 steps from St. Gregory Street to the church. It is a tradition that is unique to the church, the city and the world.
The steps at Holy Cross-Immaculata Church are the focal point of an almost 150 year old Good Friday Cincinnati tradition, praying the steps. The tradition began in 1860 and has continued to the present with people of all Christian denominations taking part. 10,000+ pilgrims participate every year. This year new steps were built leading up to the church.
The new steps are the culmination of a three year project by the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Prus Construction and local businesses. The new steps include a viewing platform that allows visitors to take in one of the best views in the city and safety railings.
Holy Cross-Immaculata Church is located at the top of Mt. Adams, a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Church serves the Roman Catholic Holy Cross–Immaculata Church parish and has a breathtaking view of the Ohio River below from one of the highest points in Cincinnati. The church is on the National Register of Historic Places.
HISTORY OF CHURCH BELLS
For centuries, church bells have played a prominent role in the history of countries, communities, and places of worship throughout the world. Historically, church bells have served as timekeepers, used to mark the hour for work, prayer and community gatherings. The church bells of today often ring to commemorate occasions and events. The impact of melodious cast bronze church bells is timeless. Enclosed in the most prominent landmark towers and steeples, church bells help to define city skylines and countryside character. They are known and recognized, both in sight and sound, as local fixtures, representing the enduring quality of community.
Since 1842, The Verdin Company has been casting and restoring fine church bells, enabling clients to create their own piece of history. Verdin church bells are cast bronze, each unique and crafted in the same tradition of workmanship as those from the 15th century using 21st century innovations and capabilities. Five generations of Verdins have been dedicated to the utmost quality in their craft.
2009
Memorial Tower Fact Sheet
January, 2009
Profile: South Jersey
US Airways Magazine piece on South Jersey featuring a timeless Verdin Street Clock
South Jersey’s small towns, such as historic Mount Holly, beckon
those seeking small communities within commuting distance of major cities.
http://www.usairwaysmag.com/2009_01/Profile_Souths_NJ/01_sjersey_intro.pdf
December, 2008
Timeless Value: The Signature Clock at Atunyote Golf Club
Club & Resort Business
At a high-end course where golf’s traditions are evoked at every turn, a new signature clock now sets the proper, peaceful pace. By Joe Barks, Editor
“In this kind of setting, we weren’t going to just put up a clock that could only tell time.
It had to play an intricate role in conveying the history of the property, and contribute to
capturing the feeling of the timeless elegance of golf that we’ve created here.”
--Robert “RT” Todd, Director of Golf Services at Atunyote
July 21, 2008
Check out the Verdin clock on this website!
June 23, 2008
Timeless Addition To Town Center
Kentucky Post - Covington,KY,USA
The clock was manufactured by the Verdin Company. The $21000 clock was funded half by the city and half by an anonymous donor
January 2, 2008
Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Mequon, WI features their Verdin Singing Tower Classic digital carillon on their website!
http://www.crossroadspres.org/worship.cfm?id=498
November 26, 2007
Irish tenor lends his voice to Peekskill firefighters memorial
The Journal News / Lohud.com - NY,USA
The Verdin Co. of Cincinnati has cast the statue and restored the 100-year-old bell, which until March had been mounted at Fireman's Park off South Division ...
September 11, 2007
Towns rally to stage Sept. 11 events
New Brunswick Home News Tribune - New Brunswick,NJ,USA
The Verdin Clock, which is the centerpiece for the memorial, represents a time for healing. Small tributes of an individual flower or American flag would be ...
September 4, 2007
Clock to shine in Pride Park
The Review - East Liverpool,OH,USA
Enough donations have come in for Hines to order the clock from a Cincinnati clock making firm, the Verdin Company, and prepare for its arrival sometime in ...
August 31, 2007
Middletown adds clock
Louisville Courier-Journal - Louisville,KY,USA
A new town clock is up in Middletown just ahead of the city's Milestone Festival, which is Sept. 7-8. The clock, on Main Street near City Hall, ...
August 31, 2007
Bluefield's new clock
Bluefield Daily Telegraph - Bluefield,WV,USA
By GREG JORDAN Last week I was told that a new clock was going up at the intersection of Federal and Bland streets in downtown Bluefield, so naturally I was ...
spurs memories of region's long-ago landmarks
August 14, 2007
Orwell Village officials put up new town clock
Ashtabula Star-Beacon - Ashtabula,OH,USA
"It adds a little bit of class to the town," said Mayor Larry Bottoms as he watched the installation crew from Verdin Clock Co. and village street
June 8, 2007
Briarcliff gardeners raising money for village clock
The Journal News / Lohud.com - Westchester,NY,USA
Verdin was started in France in the 18th century and opened its first US store in 1842. The clock would be made in its factory in Mansfield, Conn. ...
See all stories on this topic
June 6, 2007
St. Patrick's rings in the future with new bells
Fremont Tribune - Fremont,NE,USA
The bells were to be blessed at 5:30 pm Saturday in the old church parking lot at Fourth and Union streets. Installation in the new church's bell tower ...
See all stories on this topic
June 6, 2007
Clock to be erected at Laurens, Richland
Aiken Standard (subscription) - Aiken,SC,USA
The clock was manufactured by The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, which specializes in public clocks, bell towers, monuments and other decorative ...
See all stories on this topic
March 30, 2007
First of clustered spires marks 200 years
Frederick News Post (subscription) - Frederick,MD,USA
After extensive renovations and enhancements by the IT Verdin Co. of Cincinnati (makers of the 2006 Frederick County History Bell) the Trinity Chimes were ...
March 13, 2007
16-foot-tall clock puts exclamation on 'The Point'
Louisville Courier-Journal - Louisville,KY,USA
It was made by the Cincinnati-based Verdin Design Group. The clock cost $24000. The money for it came from the Hikes Point Area Business Association,
March 12, 2007
Daylight Savings Time comes early
Henry Herald - McDonough,GA,USA
One example is the Verdin company of Cincinnati, Ohio, which operates church and courthouse clocks all over the country, including the one at the historic ...
December 29, 2006
Bells get appealing home
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati,OH,USA
BY MARY JO SPIEGEL | ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR. Name almost any city and Jim Verdin can tell you about its bells. That's because his family's ...
December 28, 2006
Let's take another look at Tualatin 'Landmark'
OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
... the hour. In fact, the bells -- the largest weighing nearly 2,000 pounds -- were cast to order by the Verdin Co. in
October 16, 2006
Cathedral's bells are ringing once more ...
September 26, 2006
Withrow set to renovate landmark clock tower
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati,OH,USA
... The restoration, expected in November, will be done by the Verdin Co., the bell manufacturer that created the World Peace Bell in Newport. ...
September 25, 2006
Joyful noise returns to St. Andrew's
The Grand Rapids Press - Grand Rapids,MI,USA
... Children raised $610 for Holy Guardian Angels. The Verdin Co. ... "They certainly should be more musical," said Dave Verdin, company vice president. ...
September 25, 2006
Bell tolls once again in Algonquin
The Courier News - Elgin,IL,USA
... raised funds for the effort. The bell recently was reconditioned by the Cincinnati-based Verdin Company. The rededication ceremony in ...
September 15, 2006
Verdin employee, Don Swem, is a master bell and clock service technician ...
Bell Tower Silenced for Maintenance Upgrade
BYU Newsnet - Provo,UT,USA
... a wooden peg creates a tug on a thin steel cable that attaches to a bell - not just any bell, but one of 52 cast bells located in the BYU Carillon Bell Tower. ...
September 5, 2006
Park's bell towers get ready to ring
Indianapolis Star - United States
... "We have tested them but have not played any music," said Tim Verdin, tower fabricator with The Verdin Co., a Cincinnati firm that bills itself as one of the ...
August 24, 2006
St. John's bell polished and toned
Pioneer Press Online - Glenview,IL,USA
... The bell was sent to the Verdin Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, to be cleaned, sandblasted, polished, suspended in a steel frame and wired with an electric bell ...
August 23, 2006
Clock tower will be the first among many changes in Hernando
commercialappeal.com (subscription) - Memphis,TN,USA
... to mark the first phase of an ongoing project to spruce up the area surrounding the county courthouse, the erection of a 30-foot brick carillon clock tower. ...
See all stories on this topic
August 21, 2006
Club makes timely gift on square
commercialappeal.com (subscription) - Memphis,TN,USA
... The project includes a 30-plus-foot tall brick tower through which pedestrians can pass, four 4-foot wide Verdin clocks, and a carillon, a design donated by ...
June 28, 2006
Back in chime: New Hanover County Courthouse clock is working ...
Wilmington Morning Star - Wilmington,NC,USA
... A technician from Verdin Co., the Cincinnati-based company that has repaired the clock before, replaced the battery and reset the clock's programming. ...
June 19, 2006
Topping off the tower
Indianapolis Star - United States
... The Verdin Co., one of the nation's oldest bell tower design and installation companies, fabricated the three main sections of each of the towers in a factory ...
May 14, 2006
Jaycees' clock installed
Chester Daily Local Online - Chester,PA,USA
... The concrete foundation, constructed by Paul Seville, was completed recently and on Thursday, representatives from the Cincinnati, Ohio-based Verdin Clock and ...
April 5, 2006
Noblesville Ledger - IN, USA
... said. "These are the only pair of bell towers in the world that are 47 carillon deep.". The second tower will go up in mid-May. Both ...
March 15, 2006
Press Release:
The Verdin Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
"Honoring our Past while Building our Future"
 |
The Verdin Company, Ohio's oldest family manufacturer, cast a church bell for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: After the Storm."
First Emmanuel Baptist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana was a victim of Hurricane Katrina. With twelve hundred parishioners and a church school, the "Extreme Makeover" team chose the church as one of their recipients in the Gulf Coast to benefit from a community makeover.
The Verdin Company cast a 250 pound cast bronze church bell with a special custom inscription as a gift to the church.
For more than six generations, the Verdin family has combined superior craftsmanship with innovative technology while building bells and clocks. These bells and clocks can be seen and heard in churches, communities, colleges and universities, and businesses throughout the world.
We are proud to have one of our bells installed at First Emmanuel Baptist Church and to be part of the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast!
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: After the Storm" is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Tom Forman. The show airs Sundays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), on the ABC Television Network.
Special air date: Thursday, April 6, 2006 (8-9)
Contact: Suzanne Sizer
513-241-4010 x 1021
ssizer@verdin.com
The Verdin Company
444 Reading Road
Cincinnati, OH 45202
www.verdin.com
800-543-0488
Verdin bell gets cameo on TV
BY LUANN GIBBS | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Verdin Co., one of Ohio's oldest family manufacturers, will appear in an edition of ABC-TV's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: After The Storm," which highlights the community makeover of the First Emmanuel Baptist Church in New Orleans.
The company cast and donated the new 250-pound bronze bell for the church, which was destroyed last year in Hurricane Katrina.
The company has cast bells for several churches along the Gulf Coast, including St. Patrick's, St. Louis Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans. It also has cast bells for Xavier University of New Orleans, St. Francis Xavier in Metairie, St. Catherine of Sienna in Metairie and Nativity of Our Lord in Kenner, La.
The show will air Thursday from 8-9 p.m. on WCPO-TV (Channel 9).
E-mail gibbs@enquirer.com
