Chairman Replaced at Certron Corp.

By MARIA L. LA GANGA

Dec. 17, 1988 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

One month after Certron Corp.’s majority shareholder demanded his ouster, Edwin R. Gamson has been replaced as chairman and chief executive of the Anaheim firm, company officials said Friday.

The board of Certron, a manufacturer of consumer magnetic tapes, has elected Marshall I. Kass to replace Gamson, according to a prepared statement from the company. Kass has been a Certron director since March.

Kass also is president of Louart Corp., a Los Angeles investment firm and Certron’s largest stockholder. At a meeting Nov. 4, Kass asked Gamson to step down as chairman and chief executive and suggested that he replace Gamson. Louart holds just over 32% of Certron’s stock.

“I feel the company can become more profitable and that the position of chief executive should be strengthened,” Kass said in a November interview.

Gamson will continue with Certron during a transition period through March 31, 1989, and thereafter as a consultant through Nov. 30, 1991, the prepared statement said. Neither Gamson nor Kass could be reached for comment late Friday.

“Mr. Gamson chose to leave his position as chairman and CEO,” said Certron President Graydon Carlson. He declined Friday to comment on the relationship between Kass’ demand and Gamson’s departure.

During the first 9 months of its 1989 fiscal year, Certron’s earnings declined to $122,000, from $205,000, on flat sales of $20.3 million. The company reported a $54-million loss for the third quarter ended July 31.

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Maria L. La Ganga

Maria L. La Ganga is the deputy managing editor for California and Metro, overseeing the Los Angeles Times’ largest editorial department. She joined The Times in 1981 as an academic intern, splitting her time between the former Metro section and National Dragster, the official publication of the National Hot Rod Assn. She has served as Seattle bureau chief, San Francisco bureau chief, edited in the Business section and pitched in on six presidential elections, five for The Times and one for the Guardian. La Ganga left The Times in 2015 and returned in 2018 after a brief hiatus during which she wrote for the Guardian and the Idaho Statesman. She was named city editor in 2022 and promoted to her current role in 2024. La Ganga graduated from Granada Hills High School in the San Fernando Valley and Cal State Northridge, where she studied English literature and journalism.

Chairman Replaced at Certron Corp.

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