A History of Service
Peter Paul Office Equipment has a long and proud history as part of the Cincinnati community. Originally founded during the Great Depression, this company has more than 80 years of experience working with local businesses. Throughout our history, we’ve responded to industry demands and provided services that make our customers most successful.
Recognizing a Demand
Peter Paul opened in 1932, but the story began a few years earlier.
In 1929, several employees of the Remington Rand Company noticed that more and more customers were getting typewriters and other business technology serviced rather than purchasing new equipment. As new sales decreased, machine and typewriter workers started losing their jobs.
A visionary named Ed McHale saw this shift. In response, Ed started a national service organization, giving jobs to the unemployed techs in the community.
Revitalizing an Industry
By seeing and filling an industry need, Ed McHale didn’t just give people in local communities jobs when they were sorely needed. By combining sales with services and support, he revitalized an industry.
On June 1, 1932, men in 20 different cities left Remington Rand and started Peter Paul Office Equipment (then known as Peter Paul Mechanical Service). The Cincinnati branch was owned by Ed McHale, Ray Ray Vorbroker, William Cleary, and Harry Kuehn. The partners selected Ed to lead the Cincinnati location because of his fairness and consistent decision-making.
A History of Innovative Solutions
One way in which Peter Paul stood out from similar companies of the time was through innovative problem solving, a tenet of our company that we still uphold today.
The company made a name for itself during the Great Flood of 1937. After the flood damaged the typewriters and adding machines of various businesses, Peter Paul’s technicians submerged these devices in tubs of water to slow the rusting. After that, they dried and oiled them. By doing this, they saved businesses from purchasing new equipment.
Staying Relevant
Over the years, technology has continued to change and evolve rapidly. Peter Paul has kept pace with these changes, expanding into:
- Ricoh Copiers
- Fax machines
- Paper shredders
- Dictation equipment
In 2000, Peter Paul Office Equipment moved to a larger facility in Queensgate just outside of downtown Cincinnati.
Today, we offer the full line of Ricoh products, including:
- Multi-Function Systems
- Laser Printers
- Fax Machines
- Typewriters
- Shredders
- Dictation Equipment
- Wide Format Printers
- Printer Toner & Supplies
- Projectors
- Interactive Whiteboards
- Document Management Sysytems
- Video Conferencing Systems
More About Peter Paul
To learn more about Peter Paul Office Equipment and our services, check out the following pages: