Elder-Beerman history

In 1896, the store moved to a new 11-story skyscraper, the Reibold Building, at the corner of Fourth and Main streets; it operated there as the Elder & Johnston Company department store for over 60 years.

Elder's son Robert had joined the company in 1908 after graduating from Princeton and, upon his father's death, became president.

1911: The firm incorporates as Elder & Johnston Company.

Beerman Stores, Inc., was founded in the late 1930s by Arthur Beerman, who had moved to Dayton from Pennsylvania in 1930 at the age of 22.

In the meantime, Johnston died and Hunter retired, leaving Elder to run the company until his death in 1936.

The entrepreneur soon added infants' and children's wear to boost sales in the winter months, and the business incorporated in 1945.

In 1950, he opened "Beermans for Bargains" junior department stores in the McCook Shopping Center in north Dayton and in the Northtown Shopping Center just north of Dayton in Harrison Township, Montgomery County.

In 1953, Beerman formed a partnership with Max Gutmann and together they established the Bee Gee Shoe Corporation, which operated the El-Bee Shoe Outlets and Shoebilee! stores for many years before its sale.

He served as president, and later chairman of the board, until retiring in 1955.

He advanced to chairman of the board in 1956.

"Elder's Diamond Jubilee Birthday Party," Elder's Store Chat, Elder Johnston Company: Dayton, February 1958.

Beerman had offered to sell his stores to Rike's in 1959, but was rebuffed by the long-established rival.

Arthur Beerman acquired a controlling interest in, and the chairmanship of, Elder Johnston in December 1961.

1963: The Northwest store at Philadelphia Drive and Siebenthaler Avenue opens.

Public trading in Elder-Beerman shares began in 1966, but the Beerman family and insiders would continue to hold the vast majority of shares, over 70 percent.

1968: The Hamilton store opens in the downtown redevelopment area.

Beerman won a $3.8 million judgment, including triple damages (a stipulation of antitrust law), when the case came to trial in 1969, but the verdict was reversed on appeal.

1974: A store is established in Richmond, Indiana, the first outside of Ohio.

In 1976, the downtown Dayton store was relocated to a new building on Courthouse Square, which had five stories, including the basement.

In 1978, Elder-Beerman expanded into the Cincinnati area, purchasing Mabley & Carew's four stores, one in downtown Cincinnati and three in its suburbs.

Seemuth, Mike, "Elder-Beerman's Share of Dayton Store Sales Grows," Dayton Daily News, June 7, 1980.

1981: Margos La Mode chain purchased.

The southwestern specialty chain Regan's was acquired in 1984, and its 20 stores were appended to Margo's.

In 1985, Herb Glaser was named president and CEO of the department store division.

Gutmann, Max, The Elder-Beerman Stores Corp.: A Tradition of Success, New York: Newcomen Society of the United States, 1986.

1987: Elder-Beerman stores open in Michigan.

1989: Elder-Beerman acquires 10 Meis department stores located in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, bringing the total number of the companys department stores to 43.

1991: Total number of Elder-Beerman department stores rises to 47.

An April 1993 business brief in the Dayton Daily News noted same-store sales increases of over 8 percent and 'a record Christmas season,' according to chairman Hartley.

1994: Beermans widow, Jessie Beerman, dies; Eastown store closes.

When the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 reorganization in 1995, Max Gutmann and Herb Glaser returned from retirement to turn the company around.

During the bankruptcy, Frederick J. Mershad asked to replace Gutmann as chairman and chief executive officer. As a result of the bankruptcy, Elder-Beerman closed all of their Margo's LaMode stores in early 1996.

The company signaled its intention to remain independent by hiring a new president and CEO in January 1997.

1998: Elder-Beerman is an independent company with stock, held largely by creditors, traded on Nasdaq.

In late 1999, Elder-Beerman opened prototype stores in Jasper, Indiana; Warsaw, Indiana; and Frankfort, Kentucky.

The shoe store chains, which had turned unprofitable again, were sold off in January 2000, allowing management to better focus on the department stores.

Another four Elder-Beerman outlets opened during 2001, in Alliance, Ohio; Dubois, Pennsylvania; and Plover and Kohler, Wisconsin.

As it focused on improving its finances, including trimming its long-term debt by $33.4 million, Elder-Beerman slowed down its expansion program, debuting only one new smaller unit, which opened in March 2002 in Coldwater, Michigan.

Elder-Beerman's brand was kept active on its 68 stores in eight states after the merger, and Elder-Beerman CEO Bud Bergren would become CEO of Bon-Ton in 2004.

2006: Bon-Ton announced plans to purchase four Parisian department stores — including the Beavercreek store— from Belk Inc.

2007: Bon-Ton announced plans to renovate and reconfigure its Elder-Beerman and recently acquired Parisian stores at Fairfield Commons Mall and operate both under the Elder-Beerman nameplate.

2009: Bon-Ton announces the elimination of 1,150 positions and announces plans to close its Elder-Beerman store in Hamilton.

2010: Elder-Beerman in Centerville closes to make way for Kroger.

In 2012, The Bon-Ton began re-branding several Elder-Beerman stores to some of its other nameplates.

2013: Springfield's Elder-Beerman store closes.

2014: Two Elder-Beerman stores at Fairfield Commons are combined under a consolidated store.

In April 2017, a "Close to Home" shop was opened at the Eclipse Center store in Beloit, Wisconsin.

All remaining Elder-Beerman stores in the chain, as well as all other Bon-Ton-owned department stores, closed on August 29, 2018.

An At Home home decor store is scheduled to open in the former Huber Heights location in early 2019.