LORDSTOWN, Ohio – Warren Anderson lost his job in media, bought a distribution company and launched a business that grew into a multistate operation serving some of the world’s largest restaurant brands.
Anderson, CEO of the Anderson-DuBose Co., discusses his unlikely path into entrepreneurship and the decisions that shaped his career.
Anderson began his professional career in journalism and media sales before being terminated from his job. Rather than pursuing another media opportunity, he decided to enter business ownership through a leveraged buyout. After researching industries where he could create value, he identified processing, packaging and distribution as the best fit.
He says distribution appealed to him because it doesn’t require a retail storefront or a technical manufacturing background while still offering opportunities for growth and operational improvement.
Connections developed during his time in media ultimately opened the door to McDonald’s, which helped create opportunities that led to the acquisition of a Cleveland-based distribution company in 1991. That purchase became the foundation for what would grow into Anderson-DuBose.
Anderson explains how networking, persistence and a willingness to take risks allowed him to move from journalism into business ownership and build a company that continues to expand decades later.
This story is part of our Leadership 360 series, sponsored by Farmers National Bank. Click Here to read the full story.