Our Story

In December 1976, George and Mary Alice Leasure founded Ghent, a producer of visual communication products including chalkboards, whiteboards, and bulletin boards. Briefly located in an old powder plant in Kings Mills, Ohio, Ghent quickly outgrew the space and its production operations were relocated to Lebanon, Ohio, in June 1978. By 1982, Ghent was recognized by INC. Magazine as the 28th fastest growing privately owned company in the United States. In 1986, Ghent acquired The Waddell Company in Greenfield, Ohio. The business was acquired from the Waddell family, who founded the business in 1889, and operated it until Ghent’s acquisition in 1986. Waddell brought diversification and growth with its line of display and trophy cases. A strong history of craftsmanship opened new doors and brought new capabilities to the growing business. The markets and competitors of the 1990’s represented different types of opportunities and challenges. New markets required a successful company to be extremely efficient and able to react to the needs of the marketplace. Ghent moved the primary production facilities to the current Henkle location in 1993. An efficient one-story design, the plant includes state-of-the-art machinery and equipment. While only a few miles from the previous facility, the new building assured the continued involvement of our skilled and experienced employees, allowing for scalable growth.