Richard Lawless, founder and owner of The Lawless Group, a Dallas-based distributor of construction, electrical, industrial, and safety products, died Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 73.
Lawless founded The Lawless Group 50 years ago with his father, Darrell, and his wife, Janis. Under his leadership, the company expanded nationally, establishing seven Lawless Sales Agencies and founding Pro Line Products, Inc. Lawless also oversaw acquisitions including OVERTIME and ProLine Chemical & Plastics, broadening the company’s product offerings and geographic reach.
The company’s CEO, Justin Vailes, said Lawless’ approach to leadership and relationship management shaped the company’s culture. Lawless’ brothers, Bob and Gary, contributed to the company’s growth, and his children, Stefani and Vaughn, remain active in operations. Leadership teams at The Lawless Group and Pro Line Products emphasized that business operations will continue without disruption and that the company will maintain its focus on customer relationships and employee development.
Headquartered in Dallas, The Lawless Group operates multiple regional warehouses and serves distributors and end-users across construction, industrial, electrical, and safety markets. Pro Line Products manufactures products for industrial, construction, safety, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing markets, including Niagara® bottled water, Overtime™ electrolyte replacement, Bullfrog skin protection, StretchAir air hoses, and RapidWire pre-tied wire.
The company said its leadership teams are fully in place and committed to sustaining operational continuity and maintaining market position.
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