Established in 1947 by Errol and Clint Lagasse as a mop manufacturing
business in a small garage in New Orleans, Lagasse grew steadily, and
in 1971, the Lagasse brothers recognizing the Jan San industry’s need
for a wholesaler to the Jan San industry, transitioned from
manufacturing to re-distribution. In 1986 Lagasse opened 3 additional
locations outside of Louisiana and in 1990 expanded 10 distribution
centers as it built on its reputation for service quality through the
addition of product lines, and entry into new market segments,
including Food Service, Paper and Safety and Industrial.
In 1996, Lagasse was acquired by United
Stationers Supply Co. United Stationers is the nation's largest
wholesale distributor of office supplies, furniture, computer
peripherals, janitorial – sanitation, food service and paper supplies.
United Stationers was founded as Utility Supply Company in 1906, and
incorporated as United Stationers in 1922. United Stationers went
public in 1981. When acquired by United Stationers in 1996, annual
Lagasse sales were $80 million and Lagasse operated 14 warehouses.
In 2001, with annual sales at $200 million, Lagasse increased its
presence in the Northeast when it acquired Peerless Paper Mills, Inc.,
the leading wholesale distributor of Paper and Jan San products to the
Northeast.
In 2005, Lagasse acquired Sweet Paper Sales Corp., a storied firm with
nearly 50 years experience serving the Foodservice, Paper and Jan San
industries. Sweet Paper was founded in 1956 by Samuel Scheck in Miami,
Florida and grew to 450 employees and 10 locations when it was
acquired by Lagasse. The family values and relationships Sweet Paper
had with its customers and vendors made the integration of these two
great companies a clear fit. With the acquisition, the combined
companies continued to conduct business as LagasseSweet.
Over the past decade, Lagasse’s value proposition has expanded to
include the industry’s definitive catalog, a tool that enables
Distributor customers to promote their products and grow their
businesses. Lagasse has also pioneered many distribution efficiency
and cost-to-serve initiatives that have driven savings and economic
benefit for customers and vendors. We look forward to working with our
associates, vendors and customers to ensure that the future of
LagasseSweet is bright. |
|
