Aquatic Legend Eugene Danner Passes Away at 93

The industry lost a legend on March 28th, 2019. Mr. Danner was still active in the business until four years ago. He had a long history in the water garden business.

Eugene Danner Sr. started planting the seeds for Danner Manufacturing in 1934 while working in the cellar of his home on Seneca Avenue in the Ridgewood district of Brooklyn, New York. While holding a full-time job as a factory manager, Eugene found great pride creating the Danner business on his time off from his regular full-time job duties. Eugene’s first product was a small waterfall toy, which was used as a component in a toy sold by the world famous F•A•O Schwarz® toy store in New York City. Eugene Danner Sr. along with his children Eugene and Renate would travel from Brooklyn to Canal Street in New York City where they would purchase scrap metal for these waterfall toys. They would ride the New York City subways back and forth, hauling 50 pounds of metal on their backs.

Around that time, the aquatics hobby began to grow and this group of people who kept fish as pets were known as “Fish Fanciers.” Eugene was often asked if he could make water and air pumps for this new-found hobby. From there, the “Supreme Aquarium” brand was born and the original Supreme Dynamaster® Air Pumps were introduced, which quickly became the standard to which others aspired.

At the end of World War II, Eugene’s son came home from active duty and opened the first official Danner Manufacturing factory on Woodbine Street in Brooklyn. He took on his Father’s growing hobby as a full time business. At this time, Eugene Danner Sr. quit his job as a factory manager and started working full-time with his son to formulate what is now known as Danner Manufacturing. As the years progressed, Eugene and his son upgraded and opened up a new state-of-the-art factory in 1960 on Summerfield Street in Brooklyn.

In the 1960’s, all three of Eugene Danner Sr’s grandchildren started helping in the factory and in 1974 the Danner family moved its operations to a new facility in Islandia, Long Island (New York). In 1987, Eugene passed the torch onto his son, Michael who ran the business until 2005. During this time, Michael’s sister, Catherine Danner designed and developed many award-winning package designs throughout the 1980’s. Their sister, Rosemarie is the current CEO of Danner Manufacturing and continues to carry on the great Danner legacy and tradition. Over 80 years later, Eugene Danner Sr’s vision carries on, employing and manufacturing within the United States. The sophisticated and energy-efficient magnetically driven and hybrid pumps continue to be popular products with thousands of satisfied and loyal customers all over North America.