Employee Owned

The Dunn Family, long-time owners of P. Graham Dunn, Inc, is proud to announce that P. Graham Dunn has been sold to its employees in the form of an employee stock ownership program (ESOP). All 300 employees have been retained in the transition and eligible employees have become owners.

“An ESOP is our best tool for transitioning P. Graham Dunn from one generation of leadership to the next,” said Peter Dunn, founder and long-time CEO. “The first two employees LeAnna and I hired, Carol Curie and Robert Shetler, are still with us after forty-two years. An outright sale of the company to a competitor would highly jeopardize fellow workers that have been with us for decades. An ESOP assures a secure future and a continuation of our values for those that have shown dedication and loyalty to us. Our ongoing management team representing 133 years of employee experience will be augmented with outside skilled leadership on our board of directors.”

“An ESOP is our best tool for transitioning P. Graham Dunn from one generation of leadership to the next.”

The company will retain the familiar P Graham Dunn name and will be directed by an experienced team of leaders. Patrick Helmuth will become the newly appointed CEO.  Additional management will be composed of Robert Shetler, long-time VP of Manufacturing, Franklin Geiser, VP of Technology, Brian Bossman, VP of Sales, and Anthony Burdette, VP of Marketing and Product Development. Peter Dunn will also continue to contribute to product development and operations, lending his expertise as an advisor to the new employee-owned company.

“On behalf of the employees, I want to thank the Dunn family for giving us this opportunity to keep the business locally owned,” said Helmuth. “Our people are what make P. Graham Dunn a leader in the industry. They will be the key drivers behind our future success.” Helmuth continued, “Our retailer customers will experience the same excellent service from our customer service team and our sales and marketing partner, OneCoast”.

“Our people are what make P. Graham Dunn a leader in the industry. They will be the key drivers behind our future success.”

P. Graham Dunn is nestled in the heart of Ohio's Amish Country and manufactures art, gifts and home décor. What started over forty years ago as a mission assignment on the streets of New York City (read more here) has blossomed into an international business, serving thousands of accounts throughout the country and around the world. Rooted in humble beginnings, the business remains nimble and continues to adapt to an ever-changing gift industry.

The company displays its products in OneCoast showrooms in Atlanta, GA, and Dallas, TX, and operates its own showroom in Las Vegas, NV.  It also operates its factory, warehouse, and retail presence in Dalton, OH, along with an additional retail location in Canton, OH. Continued growth for the company has been a result of newly developed sales channels and product categories beyond inspirational décor, including dedicated lines of coastal, Christmas, and collegiate products.