Philip G. Ball

Name: Philip G. Ball
Position: Founder

Bio:Philip G. Ball was born in 1900. His parents came to the United States with three older children in 1892. Philip Ball’s father was Harris Ball. Harris Ball settled in Northern New Jersey and opened a textile manufacturing operation at the turn of the century that enjoyed great success during the next two decades.

In 1929, at the stock market crash and the beginning of the great depression, Harris Ball’s company was one of the largest in Newark. In the early 1930’s, with business in trauma and many of Harris Ball’s customers going out of business, Phil Ball was sent to Scranton where the coal mining industry was still relatively healthy. Phil opened up a successful retail operation that sold his father’s textile goods to the miners and their families in Scranton. Phil Ball developed a reputation as a gentleman’s gentleman. Everyone in the community came to know and respect the soft-spoken man with a bow tie, dressed up every single day.

Harris Ball had to close his factory and lost everything in the depression. With no source of goods and no money, Phil closed the store and began working for his brother-in-law, Gary Shampanier, in the produce brokerage business. During these difficult economic times, Phil watched as price controls were in effect and people were hungry. It had a major impact on him. In 1944, Shampanier moved into transportation and Philip Ball opened up the Ball Brokerage Company.

Phil took great delight in taking great care of his business. His great name for honesty, integrity, and hard work built him a loyal following. Many of our current shippers started business with Phil Ball and have continued over the six decades since. In 1947, his son-in-law, Philip Cutler, upon his return from service in the U.S. Army during World War II, joined Phil Ball in business. Philip Ball lived into his early nineties and took great delight from his family in the business and from his numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Philip Cutler’s second son, Harris, continues the business today. Harris, named for Phil Ball’s father, instills in his employees to never forget where we came from and to always keep in mind that the work of our company is among the noblest in our world. All the employees dress up each and every day out of respect for the founder and respect for the work at hand. We are helping people get nourishment at prices that are fair.