Corporate Office HQ

Furniture

HSN Corporate Office

Lowell “Bud” Paxson and Roy Speer founded the Home Shopping Club in 1982 as a local cable channel in Pinellas County, Florida.

Three years later it expanded nationally and was the first national shopping network, under the name Home Shopping Network.

In 1986 HSN began a second network that broadcast over the air on a number of television stations it had acquired under the name Silver King Broadcasting.

The stations were sold in 1999 to Barry Diller and again in 2001 to Univision Communications.

In 1999 the company launched hsn.com, which is one of the most trafficked e-commerce websites.

Today HSN is an interactive, multichannel retailer with two operating segments: HSN and Cornerstone. The company’s brands include Bllard Designs, Chasing Fireflies, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road, Improvements, and TravelSmith. HSN has 6,700 employees and had $3 billion in revenue in 2012.

HSN, Inc.

Lowell “Bud” Paxson and Roy Speer founded the Home Shopping Club in 1982 as a local cable channel in Pinellas County, Florida.

Three years later it expanded nationally and was the first national shopping network, under the name Home Shopping Network.

In 1986 HSN began a second network that broadcast over the air on a number of television stations it had acquired under the name Silver King Broadcasting.

History

The stations were sold in 1999 to Barry Diller and again in 2001 to Univision Communications.

In 1999 the company launched hsn.com, which is one of the most trafficked e-commerce websites.

Today HSN is an interactive, multichannel retailer with two operating segments: HSN and Cornerstone. The company’s brands include Bllard Designs, Chasing Fireflies, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road, Improvements, and TravelSmith. HSN has 6,700 employees and had $3 billion in revenue in 2012.

W. W. Grainger, Inc. Corporate Office

W.W. Grainger was founded by William W. Grainger in Chicago in 1927 as an efficient solution for fulfilling customer’s business needs.

Sales were primarily through mail-order catalog and post cards in the early days of the company.

In 1967 Grainger became a publicly traded company, going public on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1984 the company reached $1 billion in sales.

By 2008 Grainger’s catalog had 183,000 products, and 350,000 available products on www.grainger.com.

In 2010, 400,000 products were available in the catalog and 900,000 on the website.

Today Grainger sells products and services to small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, government entities, and other institutions through local branches sales representatives, catalogs, and the internet.

The company has operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

W.W. Grainger is an S&P 500 component, has 18,400 employees, and had $8.1 billion in revenue in 2011.

 

W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger was founded by William W. Grainger in Chicago in 1927 as an efficient solution for fulfilling customer’s business needs.

Sales were primarily through mail-order catalog and post cards in the early days of the company.

In 1967 Grainger became a publicly traded company, going public on the New York Stock Exchange.

History

In 1984 the company reached $1 billion in sales.

By 2008 Grainger’s catalog had 183,000 products, and 350,000 available products on www.grainger.com.

In 2010, 400,000 products were available in the catalog and 900,000 on the website.

Today Grainger sells products and services to small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, government entities, and other institutions through local branches sales representatives, catalogs, and the internet.

The company has operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

W.W. Grainger is an S&P 500 component, has 18,400 employees, and had $8.1 billion in revenue in 2011.

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club Corporate Office

BJ’s Wholesale Club was started in 1984 by the retail chain Zayre in Massachusetts. The letters in the name are the initials of the wife, Barbara Jane, and daughter, Beverly Jean, of the first president, Mervyn Weich.

In 1988 Zayre Corporation sold the Zayre nameplate to rival chain Ames, and TJX Companies was formed. In 1989 TJX spun off their warehouse division, including BJ’s, to form Waban, Inc.

In August 1997 Waban, Inc. spun off BJ’s to form an independent company. The new company was named BJ’s Wholesale Club and was headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts and Waban renamed itself HomeBase, Inc.

In 2011 two private equity firms, Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners, acquired BJ’s.

In June 2018, the company went public on the NYSE under the ticker symbol :BJ.

Today BJ’s has 219 stores in 15 states with 25,000 employees. BJ’s had $15.4 billion in revenue in 2020.

BJ's Wholesale Club

BJ’s Wholesale Club was started in 1984 by the retail chain Zayre in Massachusetts. The letters in the name are the initials of the wife, Barbara Jane, and daughter, Beverly Jean, of the first president, Mervyn Weich.

History

In 1988 Zayre Corporation sold the Zayre nameplate to rival chain Ames, and TJX Companies was formed. In 1989 TJX spun off their warehouse division, including BJ’s, to form Waban, Inc.

In August 1997 Waban, Inc. spun off BJ’s to form an independent company. The new company was named BJ’s Wholesale Club and was headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts and Waban renamed itself HomeBase, Inc.

In 2011 two private equity firms, Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners, acquired BJ’s.

In June 2018, the company went public on the NYSE under the ticker symbol :BJ.

Today BJ’s has 219 stores in 15 states with 25,000 employees. BJ’s had $15.4 billion in revenue in 2020.

Williams-Sonoma Corporate Office

Williams-Sonoma was founded by Charles E. Williams in 1956 when he began selling restaurant-quality kitchenware for homes in his store in Sonoma, California. In 1971 he began to publish a mail-order catalog.

By 1972 he was sending out thousands of catalogs and had taken out a business loan to open more stores.

The company went public in 1983 and bought Pottery Barn from Gap, Inc. In 1999 Williams-Sonoma introduced Pottery Barn Kids, then PBTeen in 2003.

Williams-Sonoma products have been featured on several television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Sex and the City, American Dad!, Friends, Frasier, The King of Queens, and Weeds.

Today Williams-Sonoma sells high-end kitchenwares, furniture, linens, housewares, home furnishings, specialty foods, soaps, and lotions. The company operates over 500 retail stores, has 26,000 employees, and had $4.042 billion in revenue in 2012.

Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma was founded by Charles E. Williams in 1956 when he began selling restaurant-quality kitchenware for homes in his store in Sonoma, California. In 1971 he began to publish a mail-order catalog.

By 1972 he was sending out thousands of catalogs and had taken out a business loan to open more stores.

The company went public in 1983 and bought Pottery Barn from Gap, Inc. In 1999 Williams-Sonoma introduced Pottery Barn Kids, then PBTeen in 2003.

History

Williams-Sonoma products have been featured on several television shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Sex and the City, American Dad!, Friends, Frasier, The King of Queens, and Weeds.

Today Williams-Sonoma sells high-end kitchenwares, furniture, linens, housewares, home furnishings, specialty foods, soaps, and lotions. The company operates over 500 retail stores, has 26,000 employees, and had $4.042 billion in revenue in 2012.

Direct Buy Corporate Office

DirectBuy was founded in 1971 by James L. Gagan in Merrillville, Indiana.  The club allows consumers to buy direct from the manufacturers at wholesale prices.  Joining the club requires a substantial membership fee for a 2-3 year commitment.

In 1996, the first franchise opened in Canada.

In 2004, the company incorporated as DirectBuy, a subsidiary of United Consumers Club.

In 2007, the company was acquired by Trivest and Allied Capital Corporation.

In 2011, the company was sued by the West Virginia Attorney General for deceptive business practices and high pressure sales.  The company had been telling people if you did not join on your first visit, you would be banned for life.  A threat that was not true.

Today, Direct Buy has over 100 locations in the US and Canada.

Direct Buy

DirectBuy was founded in 1971 by James L. Gagan in Merrillville, Indiana.  The club allows consumers to buy direct from the manufacturers at wholesale prices.  Joining the club requires a substantial membership fee for a 2-3 year commitment.

In 1996, the first franchise opened in Canada.

In 2004, the company incorporated as DirectBuy, a subsidiary of United Consumers Club.

History

In 2007, the company was acquired by Trivest and Allied Capital Corporation.

In 2011, the company was sued by the West Virginia Attorney General for deceptive business practices and high pressure sales.  The company had been telling people if you did not join on your first visit, you would be banned for life.  A threat that was not true.

Today, Direct Buy has over 100 locations in the US and Canada.