Uniweb Founder Karl Forman Weber Dies

Karl Forman Weber, the founder of Uniweb Inc., died on Feb. 25. He was 86.

Weber was born in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 1930, to Karl A. Weber and Mary Noyes. He attended Loyola High School and Loyola College, both in Los Angeles. He served two years in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged.

Weber worked alongside his father and uncle at Weber Showcase and Fixture Company. As the company grew, new divisions were added, such as Weber Refrigeration and Weber Aircraft, and Karl became president of the company. Weber Showcase and Fixture Company was sold in the mid-1960s, giving Karl the opportunity to develop something new.

In the late 1960s, Weber created an all-steel merchandising panel in his garage, and he founded Uniweb, Inc., in 1970. Uniweb quickly revolutionized the merchandising industry, servicing the commercial sector’s growing need for more space and versatility in merchandise display. Uniweb has grown exponentially over the last five decades, and will continue to grow at its current location in Corona, Calif.

Weber was also one of the founders of Aerochem Inc., in Orange, Calif., which chemically milled metal for the aircraft and aerospace industries and was instrumental in reducing the weight for the space shuttle project.

In addition to his innovations and business at Uniweb, his entrepreneurial spirit drove him in a adventurous direction, to Jackson Hole, Wy. In 1987, Weber and his wife, Tina, came across a unique property in the Jackson Hole Valley along the Gros Ventre River, which they cultivated to become the stunning and picturesque Gros Ventre River Ranch.

Weber is survived by his wife of 34 years, Tina Anderson; his eight children; 13 grandchildren and one great-grand child.