Info

The J.W. Harris Company was founded in 1914 by Joseph W. Harris, Sr., who was involved primarily in the distribution and repair of specialized parts for automotive and farm implement vehicles. These parts included carburetors, m agnetos and governors. In 1937, Mr. Harris formulated Stay-Clean soldering flux which he sold by mail order to refrigeration supply houses and manufacturing firms until his retirement in 1956. About this time, the Company became interested in marketing a specialized tin-silver solder, Stay-Brite, to refrigeration wholesalers. In 1960 the Company decided to abandon its automotive interests to pursue the HVAC products market. In 1968, the Company built a new plant and moved all operations from downtown Cincinnati to Blue Ash. Today, the Company manufactures over 95% of all of its soldering and brazing products. J.W. Harris is privately owned and operated. In late 1976, the Company entered the welding supply industry by adding a completely new product line of filler metals including stainless steel, aluminum, and copper-based alloys for most welding applications. In keeping with its long-standing policy of selling through supply houses, the Company cultivated a brand n ew customer base consisting of welding distributors. In 1990, the J.W. Harris Company became an emerging force in the international market with the opening of a company-maintained affiliate, Harris-Euro Corp., in Spain. From this facility we market brazing alloys and lead-free solders to Europe and the United Kingdom. Autobraze Inc., another Harris affiliate, was established in early 1993 and operates in Cranston, Rhode Island. Autobraze specializes in the manufacture of precision brazing rings for automated brazing systems. In the fall of 1993, J.W. Harris Co. expanded its offering of welding alloys and added a complete line of welding accessories, including safety equipment and helmets. The J.W. Harris Companies have grown with the times and now employ over 275 people, two-thirds of whom are production personnel. We are all committed to excellence in product and service and look forward to continued growth by maintaining our high standards as we pursue new markets.