JABO, Inc.

 

Reno, Ohio

1987 – The present

 

 

JABO, Inc. was founded in 1987 by Joanne Argabrite and Jack Bogard.  Mr. Bogard was the owner of the Bogard Company which had suffered financial setbacks while in Cairo, WV.  Ms. Argabrite was the accountant who was helping him resuscitate his company.  They moved the operations from West Virginia to Reno, Ohio, for a significant savings in natural gas prices.  Along the way, Ms. Argabrite saw enough potential in industrial marbles that she joined Jack in the marble-making business. 

 

The JABO company formally purchased the Bogard Co. equipment as part of helping that company to discharge its debt.  Joanne was the president and in charge of finances.  Jack was the vice president and in charge of making the marbles. 

 

In 1991 Dave McCullough joined the company.  He had been the general manager of the Champion Agate Co.  That year he made the first run of the play marbles known as the JABO Classics.  

 

In 1992, JABO purchased the Vitro Agate Co., then located in Anacortes, WA.   They bought most of the machines, surplus marbles and the right to the Vitro name.   The Jabo-Vitro Company continued to make classics about twice a year until 2007.  Gas prices and competition from China put the whole operation in limbo, even the industrial marbles.  The company seems to have essentially closed in 2007 but it has fought on thanks in part to some exciting special runs of marbles throughout 2008 and into 2009.  Industrial orders have also been coming in again.

 

At the time of this writing the future of the company is uncertain, but there is hope.

 

 

More information:

 

American Machine-Made Marbles, 2006, Dean Six, Susie Metzler and Michael Johnson

 

Jabo: A Classic, 2008, Steve Sturtz and Michael Johnson

 

David’s JABO Renaissance, 2008, Steve Sturtz and Michael Johnson

 

JABO Classics: The Experimentals, 2008, Steve Sturtz