Founder of Sellars retires
After 38 years, company founder John Sellars has retired from his day-to-day role at Sellars Absorbent Materials. He will continue as a member of Sellars’ board of directors and will provide consulting services to the company for the next two years.
Sellars started the business in 1985, working out of his garage and basement. He grew the Milwaukee-based company to become a national leader in the production of wipes, absorbents and towel and tissue products with 200 employees.
Throughout the years, he provided vision, leadership and innovation and forged long-term relationships with Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Uline, Medline, Bridgestone/Firestone, Cintas, Deere, CAT and Walmart.
“Years ago, one of our customers told me the Sellars’ name was like a handshake because it was something he could always count on,” said John Sellars, founder of Sellars Absorbent Materials. “I’m proud of the reputation we’ve built in the marketplace and the recognizable brands we’ve created.”
Sellars, along with his son Ryan, was instrumental in developing and building Sellars’ TOOLBOX and Mayfair brands nationwide and in creating and patenting the company’s innovative products. Significant products include the Big Grip Dispenser that houses Clean Task professional cleaning towels and can be wall-hung for convenience and the Q-Cel absorbent core that’s made from recycled materials and used in the company’s TOOLBOX DuraSoak and TOOLBOX EverSoak sorbents.
From 2002-2008, he led an initiative to co-brand the company’s products with the NASCAR logo at a time when the racing circuit was at its height of popularity. The campaign helped open doors with national retailers in a variety of channels.
John’s brother, Tom Sellars, who joined the company in 1999, is the current CEO and chairman of the Sellars’ board of directors.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
