Consumer Goods

Tackle Warehouse Corporate Office

Tackle Warehouse was founded by Rich Zeilenga & Drew Munster in 2003 in San Luis Obispo, California. Zeilenga loved fishing but wasn’t sure how he could make a living doing so. After college, he went to work for friends at Tennis Warehouse. This is where Zeilenga got his idea to operate an online store similar to Tennis Warehouse, but for fishing enthusiasts.

The company began very small, operating only an online eCommerce store. All operations, including the warehouse, shipping, receiving, and customer service operations were done out of one very small building. The business quickly took off, however, forcing the company to move to larger spaces three times in their first 5 years.

The company now shares a super-sized warehouse with Tennis Warehouse. This has allowed Tackle Warehouse to open up a large storefront. Customers can also look through the entire product line in the store via computer. Anything not in the store is located in the stock room and can be brought to the customer in minutes.

The company is best known for hiring customer service rep’s that are also avid fishermen who have tried many of the products that are sold.

The corporate office is located in the same building as the warehouse and storefront, in San Luis Obispo, California. The company ships internationally and has a very active information channel on YouTube.

Tackle Warehouse

History

The company is best known for hiring customer service rep’s that are also avid fishermen who have tried many of the products that are sold.

Buy Buy Baby Corporate Office

Buy Buy Baby was founded by brothers Richard and Jeffrey Feinstein, sons of Bed Bath and Beyond co-founder Leonard Feinstein. After spending years working for their father’s company, the Feinstein brothers decided to try their hand with the same concept as Bed Bath and Beyond, but for infants and toddlers.

The first store was located in New York and opened in 1996. The company offers everything imaginable for pregnant mother-to-be’s, infants, and toddlers, including strollers, car seats, gear, travel products, furniture, bedding, decors, nursing and feeding products, bath and potty products, health and safety products, toys, learning products, clothing and accessories, gifts, and registry services.

The company grew quickly and by 2006, had 8 locations, as well as an active eCommerce site.

Buy Buy Baby was purchased by Bed Bath and Beyond in 2007 for $67 million and now operates as a subsidiary. Currently, there are 135 Buy Buy Baby locations. The company continues to expand, opening their 7th location in Canada in early 2018.

Due to the corona virus of 2020/2021, many Buy Buy Baby locations, such as this one in New York, are closing permanently.

Headquarters for Buy Buy Baby are located in Union, New Jersey.

Buy Buy Baby

History

The company grew quickly and by 2006, had 8 locations, as well as an active eCommerce site.

Due to the corona virus of 2020/2021, many Buy Buy Baby locations, such as this one in New York, are closing permanently.

Headquarters for Buy Buy Baby are located in Union, New Jersey.

Lamps Plus Corporate Office

Lamps Plus was founded by Dennis Swanson and his wife Manja. Originally the name of the store was Lamps R Us, but after being sued by Toys R Us, the company changed the name.

Swanson and his wife began by designing and manufacturing lights and lamps for other retailers before deciding to go into business for themselves. The company holds several patents for unique light fixtures, including one for a torchiere floor lamp with adjustable side lamps.

From their single location in Los Angeles, the company now has more than 40 locations, as well as international stores. Lamps Plus also offers an active e-Commerce site. The company website was picked as one of the top fifty retail websites by Internet Retailer magazine in 2004 and has remained in the top 200 every single year since.

The company has worked with a number of designers, including industrial pattern designer Stacy Garcia, furniture and lighting designer Sergio Orozco, lighting designer Robert Sonneman, artist Thomas Kinkade, as well as pop artist Ragnar.

Lamps Plus is a member of the Better Business Bureau and Dennis Swanson has served as President of the American Lighting Association.

Global headquarters for the company are located in Chatsworth, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. In 2017, the company opened their first location in Austin, Texas, with the stores focus being on LED lighting.

Lamps Plus

Lamps Plus was founded by Dennis Swanson and his wife Manja. Originally the name of the store was Lamps R Us, but after being sued by Toys R Us, the company changed the name.

History

Lamps Plus is a member of the Better Business Bureau and Dennis Swanson has served as President of the American Lighting Association.

Whirlpool Corporate Office

Whirlpool history begins in 1911, in a machine shop owned by Emory Upton. When Emory’s nephew Louis purchased a patent for a manual washing machine, the pair worked on creating a motor that would make the machine operate on its own. Soon, the company was selling their motorized wringer-type washing machines to Commonwealth Edison and Sears Roebuck.

To avoid becoming dependent on Sears sales only, the Upton’s began to sell under their own label of Whirlpool. Sales increased dramatically, causing the company to merge with the 1900 Corporation in 1929. The company was virtually unaffected by the Great Depression and during WWII, the factory was used to make ammunition.

In response to the post-war consumer demand for convenience products, the company launched a range of home laundry products including wringer and automatic washers, dryers, and irons. In 1950, The Nineteen Hundred Corporation was renamed as the Whirlpool Corporation.

The company acquired Kitchenaid in 1986 and in 1988, purchased a majority share in the Philips brand. By 2004, annual revenue for the company exceeded $13 billion.

In 2006, the company acquired Maytag and all of its brands, including Jenn-Air, Amana, Magic Chef, Admiral, and Hoover.

In October of 2017, Sears and Whirlpool announced that they were ending their 101-year-old agreement which allowed Whirlpool appliances to be sold at Sears and Kmart stores.

Whirlpool is publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol: WHR. In 2017, the company reported annual revenue of $21.25 billion. Company headquarters remain in Benton Harbor, Michigan, with manufacturing facilities located in Iowa, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.

Whirlpool

History

The company acquired Kitchenaid in 1986 and in 1988, purchased a majority share in the Philips brand. By 2004, annual revenue for the company exceeded $13 billion.

In 2006, the company acquired Maytag and all of its brands, including Jenn-Air, Amana, Magic Chef, Admiral, and Hoover.

In October of 2017, Sears and Whirlpool announced that they were ending their 101-year-old agreement which allowed Whirlpool appliances to be sold at Sears and Kmart stores.

Bissell Corporate Office

Bissell was founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Melville Bissell, who invented a carpet sweeping device for the crockery shop that he and his wife Anna owned. Bissell got a patent for his machine in 1876. By 1883, Bissell had a manufacturing plant and by 1890, the company was making and selling approximately 100 carpet sweepers each day, both in the US and internationally.

Melville passed away in 1889 and his wife Anna took over the company, actively working as CEO and chairwoman of the board until 1934. Anna was the first female CEO in the US.

Over the years the company has continued to expand and grow, as well as develop new technology. In 1956 the company invented the first manual carpet and rug shampoo machine, removing the chore of washing these by hand.

In 1979, the company introduced the first deep cleaning carpet shampoo machine.

In 2001, the SpotBot was introduced by the company, making it the first portable deep cleaner specially designed for pet messes.

In 2004 the company acquired a license for the Woolite trademark for all carpet and upholstery cleaning formulas for $62 million.

The company’s main focus today is on pet clean-up machines, including vacuums, wet/dry floor mops, and specialized carpet cleaning, as well as hardwood floor cleaning machines.

While other companies have seen their sales decline over the years, Bissell has seen steady revenue, with annual revenue in 2017 of $800 million.

In December 2020, Bissell offered $25 pet adoptions in hopes of emptying animal shelters by Christmas.

In addition to vacuums and other cleaning devices, the company makes pet towels and bathmats.

In 2009, the company surpassed Hoover to take the #1 position in floor care products in North America, with a 20% market share. Company headquarters remain in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Bissell

Melville passed away in 1889 and his wife Anna took over the company, actively working as CEO and chairwoman of the board until 1934. Anna was the first female CEO in the US.

History

In 1979, the company introduced the first deep cleaning carpet shampoo machine.

In 2001, the SpotBot was introduced by the company, making it the first portable deep cleaner specially designed for pet messes.

In 2004 the company acquired a license for the Woolite trademark for all carpet and upholstery cleaning formulas for $62 million.

The company’s main focus today is on pet clean-up machines, including vacuums, wet/dry floor mops, and specialized carpet cleaning, as well as hardwood floor cleaning machines.

While other companies have seen their sales decline over the years, Bissell has seen steady revenue, with annual revenue in 2017 of $800 million.

In December 2020, Bissell offered $25 pet adoptions in hopes of emptying animal shelters by Christmas.

In addition to vacuums and other cleaning devices, the company makes pet towels and bathmats.

In 2009, the company surpassed Hoover to take the #1 position in floor care products in North America, with a 20% market share. Company headquarters remain in Grand Rapids, Michigan.