Our Story

From the very beginning, our company has held a place at the forefront of innovation pioneering new and better solutions for the embalming and funeral service industry. Our proud corporate history spans three centuries and continues to be written today with every advancement that we make and every customer that we satisfy. From breakthrough embalming formulations that increase safety by eliminating formaldehyde to our latest environmentally friendly products that are certified for use in green burials and eco-cremations, we've proven our commitment to quality and improvement time and time again. We promise to continue looking forward on behalf of our clients in the decades to come.

The Champion Company Timeline

  • 1878 - Founded in Springfield, Ohio, as the Hill Fluid Company
  • 1888 - Incorporated as the Champion Chemical Company by Dr. A.A. Baker
  • 1920s - Established the first Service and Research Department in funeral industry history under A.O. Spriggs. The Champion Expanding Encyclopedia is first published
  • 1930s - Becomes first manufacturer to release a formula that includes a surface tension breaker. Champion also introduces non-hardening fluid
  • 1940s - Continued growth and expansion including the addition of a cemetery division and the Sozonian Vault Company
  • 1950s - Uses dialdehyde-glutaraldehyde, in its Second Generation of Reduced Exposure Fluids that are still popular today. A new and better sanitizer and preservative with more natural results than formaldehyde, Glutaraldehyde was used by NASA to support the Apollo space missions
  • 1960s & '70s - Innovation and success continues under the leadership of Paul A. Pence, Vice president and General Manager; Gail Slack, Sales Manager; and Chemist Leandro Rendon, Director of Research and Development
  • 1980s - Gianakopoulos family becomes second family in 100 years to own The Champion Company following the death of Dr. Baker's last surviving family member. Art Gianakopoulos becomes President, Paul Bauman is appointed Vice president and General Manager
  • 1990s - Chemist James H. Bedino named Director of Research and Development and Millenium/New Era is released: a completely formaldehyde-free embalming chemical formulation a major breakthrough and Champion's Third Generation of Embalming Chemicals
  • 2000s - 21st Century begins and Champion continues tradition of growth and innovation
  • 2010s - ENIGMA line of ultra-low enviro-impact Chemostasis Infusion Chemicals is released: used for natural/green burial and eco-cremation/disposition applications ENIGMA is the first and only such product to meet the Green Burial Council's eco-certification program