Our History

It is a pleasure to welcome you to O.E. Meyer Co. It is our hope that our relationship will be long lasting and mutually beneficial for both you and our company as we strive in serving our customers.

Our company was started by the Meyer family in 1918. Omar E. Meyer Sr. had been a lake captain and decided to join his brother in the operation of a welding shop. In the early thirties, Omar Meyer Jr. and his brother August joined their father and renamed the company, O.E. Meyer & Sons.   In 1948, the company was incorporated and began efforts in the selling of welding supplies. During 1951, August "Gus" Meyer started a branch operation in Toledo which he became owner of in 1952 after he severed relations with O.E. Meyer & Sons. Shortly thereafter, in 1953, the welding shop was sold to William Crumney and became known as Lake Erie Welding.  With the original company now fully committed to the sale of welding supplies, a building was acquired in Fremont for expansion and to better serve growing markets. In 1954, as the company continued to grow, property was obtained to start a branch operation in Galion.  The expansion continued into the Lorain area in 1967 through acquisition of real estate on East 28th Street.

In the 1930's, our company began supplying medical gases to area hospitals and the medical community.  Through this association, we also began to market equipment and supplies in this business segment.  In 1976, we formally established our Medical Division and hired specialists to best serve the needs of the health care practitioners.  In 1984, we recognized a new, growing need of the health care community and instituted a Home Care Division to serve the rapidly growing outpatient market.  Once again, due to the technical regulations and increasingly complex care required, specialists in this field were hired.

On January 1, 1989 a change of ownership occurred when Omar Meyer Jr. sold O.E. Meyer & Sons to his employees.  Omar remained the chairman of the board for the newly established O.E. Meyer Co. for the first year of operation after which he retired. The Welding, Medical and Home care operations remain the core of our business today. In all three divisions we strive to understand the needs of that particular market and its customers so that we can provide products, services and knowledge at higher levels of quality and professionalism than our competitors. We believe these actions will lead to the higher levels of customer satisfaction necessary to maintain and expand not only our existing customer base, but also to attract other potential customers not currently served by our company. We believe this policy will help us to consistently conform to your expectations as a supplier and consultant to your concerns.

Dedicated to the memory' of Omar E. Meyer Jr. who passed away February 5 1992.