Our Founder

James A. Egan

Founder

James Arthur Egan 1939-2011

Mr. Egan was born in Toronto and later moved to Port Hope as a teen, where he was described by friends as “Port Hope’s answer to James Dean.” Jim was a fun-loving and quick-witted man. After graduating high school branded “Most Likely to Succeed” by his peers, he was accepted at Algonquin College where he studied business and marketing. He finished college and embarked on a career in sales. Ever the consummate entrepreneur, Jim happily and tirelessly worked on a dozen different business ideas at any given time. He built a house boat rental company with his brother Ron on Rice Lake. Soon after, with his brother Gerry, he catapulted a spark of an idea — a “blackboard with doors on it” — which launched not only a number of products that became industry standards, but also an enterprise that would soon grow into Egan Visual – a company he nurtured with intelligent creativity and a paternal hand. Always ahead of his time, Jim experimented with formulas and products literally decades before his competition caught on. Engaging his employees as second family, he cherished his workforce, many of whom worked with him for over three decades.