SGC Foodservice history

Planing mills and lumber yards were soon among the busiest institutions in the city when the people of Springfield began the work of rehabitation, immediately after the war, in 1866.

Cy M. Eversole and others of his family established the Eagle mill on a farm southwest of the city in 1867.

With the advent of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad which reached North Springfield in 1870 came a tremendous impetus to business followed by a short period of bounding prosperity.

Twenty-two thousand dollars in bonds in aid of manufacturing enterprises was voted by the city to encourage manufacturing, in 1872.

The Frisco machine shop, erected in 1873, was the principal institution of North Springfield employing one hundred and seventy men and turning out over a hundred new cars in addition to keeping up repairs on three hundred and sixty-three miles of road.

The City Carriage Shop was established in 1876 and conducted for years by Jess & Sturdy, Mr.

There were one hundred and fifty business houses in the old town, with stocks aggregating a million dollars in value in 1878, according to Escott's city directory.

Among other industries of North Springfield in 1879 was mentioned a new steam elevator erected by Doctor E. T. Robberson; F. A. Heacker's cigar and tobacco factory and the Southwester job office.

Hackney and Speaker opened a tin shop in 1880 and built up a prosperous business.

The Kansas City, Fort Scott. & Memphis railway was completed from Kansas City to Springfield, May 25, 1881, opening direct communication with Chicago and other cities north and west of here.

The Springfield Ice and Refrigerating Company was established in 1889.

One of these was rebuilt in 1895 from the plant of the Queen City Milling Company, purchased the year before.

Their business increased until it became necessary to enlarge the plant in 1908, increasing the capitalization to one hundred thousand dollars, the name being changed at that time to the Tegarden Packing Company.

The phenomenal growth of this institution since its establishment in 1910 has demonstrated its usefulness in promoting the prosperity of the farmers in this section in an extraordinary manner.

In a resume of progress, published by the Springfield Club, December 15, 1911, the population was estimated at 45,000.

In the spring of 1914 a modern substantial brick building, sixty-two, by one hundred and seventy feet was built, adjoining the original building.

In 1924 after serving his country in the Army Air Corp during WW I, attaining the rank of Captain, he returned to become a buyer and assistant manager at Springfield Grocer Company.

In 1929, as our country was perched on the edge of the Great Depression, the boy who rode his horse to Springfield became the major stockholder of his firm.

In 1940, Springfield Grocer Company could boast that “Sunshine Coffee has been on the air continuously longer than any other product advertising over KWTO and KGBX”. The original marble top coffee tasting table still sits in the waiting area of our present location!

With the sudden death of Ben McDonald, Walker moved to Springfield in 1954 with his young family after selling his family’s business in Dallas, Texas.

In 1972 the firm dropped all retail grocery store accounts in order to narrow their sales focus to concentrate exclusively on foodservice and institutional sales in the area.

In 1975, William (Bill) McDonald Tynes, grandson of Ben McDonald, became the first IT director.

Tynes said the company moved to this location in 1976 and since that time has added three additions to the building.

In 2008, Jeff Tynes becomes president of the company.