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Tandy Leather company history timeline

1919

A Small 'Shoe-findings' Storefront Established in 1919

When the two started their own business in 1919 they discovered that they had complementary talents.

1940

Charles studied business at TCU and graduated in 1940, shortly after joining the US Navy.

1950

The Tandy Leather Company (TLC) was established in May 1950 and moved to an uptown location.

1951

Stores that opened in North Carolina and Georgia in 1951 served nearby prisons where leathercraft programs offered inmates productive activity and income from sales to other inmates.

1952

The business, which included two stores and a large mail order business, neared bankruptcy when TLC purchased it for $90,000 in 1952.

1954

By 1954 the company catalog had grown to 68 pages and the mail order business reached one million customers.

1961

Charles experimented with a new retail concept, the Tandy Craft and Hobby Mart, which opened in Fort Worth in November 1961.

In 1961 Tandy acquired Cleveland Crafts Inc., which operated educational and craft supply stores in New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville, as well as Cleveland.

Following the change, Charles optimistically moved the corporate headquarters to Fort Worth, changed the company’s name to Tandy Corp., and began trading stock on the New York Stock Exchange by 1961.

1968

Magee Company, a manufacturer of steel and wood picture frames acquired by the Tandy Corporation in 1968, was one of the top suppliers of frames to retail stores with distribution to mass merchants such as Wal-Mart and Venture.

1975

By 1975, Tandy Corp. had become exclusively an electronics company, having spun off all other operations into Tandycrafts, Tandy Brands, and numerous other businesses.

1982

The company discontinued Merribee Needlearts and American Handicrafts in 1982 and eventually sold or discontinued other companies as well.

1992

David James Manufacturing and Brand Name Apparel were acquired in the fall of 1992.

1994

Rivertown Button, acquired in April 1994, produced buttons, posters, and similar promotional items for political campaigns, nonprofit organizations, schools, and businesses.

1997

Other actions to streamline the company included the sale of Cargo Furniture to management and employees in January 1997.

1998

In October 1998 the company opened a Craft Your World store in Fort Worth as a pilot project for a new retail concept.

1999

The Impulse Designs plant in Van Nuys, California relocated to Durango, in northern Mexico, where a new, state-of-the art factory opened in July 1999.

The chain had grown to more than 40 stores in 11 states, primarily in the South and Midwest, in 1999.

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Tandy Leather history FAQs

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Tandy Leather, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Tandy Leather. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Tandy Leather. 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 Tandy Leather. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Tandy Leather and its employees or that of Zippia.

Tandy Leather may also be known as or be related to Tandy Leather, Tandy Leather Co., Tandy Leather Factory, Tandy Leather Factory Inc, Tandy Leather Factory Inc. and Tandy Leather Factory, Inc.