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Orchard Supply Hardware history
Orchard Supply Hardware company history timeline
The company was established in 1931 as a supply cooperative for farmers residing in the Santa Clara area, its formation occurring as the cooperative movement in the United States was in full swing.
1940's: Product selection expanded to include hardware for an emerging light industrial customer.
In the year 1977, the company had purchased a 19-acre warehouse and office complex from Sunsweet Growers, in order to serve as a distribution centre as well.
The company was supported by these seven stores when W.R. Grace & Co. purchased Orchard Supply from its original owners in 1979.
Jenkins spent 15 years at Gemco learning the retail trade and then was hired as president and chief operating officer of a 107-unit chain of drug stores operated by Seattle-based Pay 'N Save Stores in 1985.
Orchard Supply was a 19-store company by July 1986, when Santa Monica-based Wickes Companies, Inc. acquired the retailer from W.R. Grace & Co.
Coming off of $255 million in sales in 1988, Orchard Supply generated $280 million in sales during the year of the leveraged buyout.
By 1992, Orchard Supply's distribution center in San Jose had become too small to service the company's pressing need to keep its stores' shelves fully stocked.
In December 1993, Orchard Supply acquired seven former Builders Emporium stores, paying a hefty $20 million for the properties.
By the end of 1994, 14 new stores had been added to the Orchard Supply chain, lifting sales for the year to $441.6 million and net income to more than $1 million.
Jenkins was envisioning a 50-unit Orchard Supply chain by 1995.
The pace of expansion ebbed considerably in 1995, when five Orchard Supply stores were added to the chain, but the company's financial growth picked up the slack, rising robustly as stores were added to the lucrative southern California market.
By April 1996, Orchard Supply was a 60-unit chain, nearly three times the size of the company Jenkins inherited a decade earlier.
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Orchard Supply Hardware competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stein's Garden & Home | 1946 | $86.0M | 570 | - |
| Big R Stores | - | $25.0M | 292 | - |
| Fallas | 1962 | $20.0M | 100 | - |
| Ace Hardware | 1924 | $5.1B | 7,577 | 1,813 |
| Smart & Final | 1871 | $4.7B | 7,921 | 725 |
| Ganahl Lumber | 1884 | $130.0M | 625 | 96 |
| Stew Leonard's | 1921 | $341.0M | 2,226 | 41 |
| 76 My Goods Market | 2007 | $480.0M | 2,800 | - |
| Park Avenue Thrift | 2007 | $2.8M | 49 | - |
| Greetings & Readings | - | $3.5M | 90 | - |
Orchard Supply Hardware history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Orchard Supply Hardware, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Orchard Supply Hardware. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Orchard Supply Hardware. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Orchard Supply Hardware. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Orchard Supply Hardware and its employees or that of Zippia.
Orchard Supply Hardware may also be known as or be related to Orchard Supply Company, LLC and Orchard Supply Hardware.