Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-15
LET'S N A BIG DEAL
Former Marshalltown Man to Be
Vice President OF New
Combine.
Wholesale Grocery Interests
Merged as National Grocer
Company.
Connected With Western Com
pany Only By Working Ar
rangementS.

Mr.. Frank C. Let's. one of the bes
known wholesale grocery men OF th'
country, president of the Let's, Fletcher
Company and the Marshalltown Gro
Gerry Company, of this city, and former
ly a resident here; also president of the
Western Grocer Company, $9.0o0,o 0C
concern organized here and incorpor-
ated in Iowa, is to be one of the frs,
combine. which will invade the states
of Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.
operations Aug. 1. Mr.. II. N. Higgin
botham, of Chicago. for many years
identified with Marshall Field & Co..
and one of the former owners of the
mammoth department store business,
also president of the Worlds Columbian
exposition. is to be the president of the
new company, which will be known as
the National Grocer Company. Mr..
Let's will be the first vice president;
Amos Musselman, president of the Mus
selman grocery interests, Grand Rapids,
Mich, second vice president, William
Phipps, president of the Phipps- PEN
meyer Grocery Company Saginaw,
Mich, third vice president: II. S.
Griggs, Jackson. Mich, secretary. and
Harry Higsnbotham, Chicago, treas
urer. The directory has not yet been
definitely settled upon. but will in
clude II. N and Harry Higginbotham,
Il. C. Let's and n. Nj. Let's, Amos Mus
and Frank j. Buckley.
The new company is capitalized at
s5,000.O00 with s3,500.000 paid up. The
will be taken up as needed
and it is very likely that the capital will
be greatly increased later. The COM
pany will incorporate under the laws
of New Jersey, with headquarters in
Chicago, where offices will be MAIN
tained
The National Grocer Company will
not be connected in any way with the
Western Grocer Company excepting
that there will be close working in
will be closely allied in purchasing. and
in this way it is expected they will
benefit one another. The new concern
will gain control of the largest houses
in Illinois, outside of Chicago, Indiana,
Ohio. Missouri and Michigan.
Altho the plans of the organizers do
not contemplate the immediate absorp-
ton of any of the big Chicago wholesale
companies, it is not denied that
this purpose is part of the ultimate
design. Chicago will be the central dis
tributing point for the supplies sent to
the houses in the combine.
The National Grocer Company will
buy direct from the importers. manu-
facturels, and sugar retineres. and also
will make direct importations thru the
Chicago Office. Little, if any, green gro
ceres will be handled, so that the COM
on the farm product and commission
business, altho some of the by products
Of the farm, such as butter and eggs
will be handled.
The company will either lease or
erect a large supply house and a cold
storage plant in Chicago, and operating
Of a large manufacturing house, where
the concern will manufacture many OF
It's own groceries. The capital has been
argely subscribed in Chicago.
Ten of the largest houses in Michigan,
Ohio, and Indiana already have been
taken into the National Company. The
Grocery Company is ole of
-hese. The company mas houses in
nd
Ste. Marie Mich. This is one of the
strongest firms in Michigan, having
among it's stockholders several bankers
and men of large means.
The jackson Grocery Company also
Will be taken over at once, as will the
'hipps Pennoyer Company, which
practically controls the grocery trade in
Michigan. Another Michigan
concern which probably will go into the
combination is Gustin, Cook & Buckley,
If Bay City. A Detroit house will be
aiken up by the corporation if a good
'oncern can be bought, otherwise alarge
branch house will be organized in that
.ity. This also will be done at Battle
Nreek.
The Riddell, Stadler e McClciland
Company at Decatur, Ill.,. and the Rid
Tell Grocery Company at South Send
nd, will be taken over at once.
The companies which are owned and
'perated by the Western Grocer Conn
amy, with which the National Conn |
AMY will have /; binding working AR
are:
Let's Fletcher Company, Marshall-
own.
Marshalltown Grocery Company,
spencer-Letts Coffee Company, Mar
halltown.
Western Grocer Company, Kansas
'ity.
Western Grocer Company. Albert
lea.
II l.. Spencer Company. Oskaloosa.
Letts-Spencer Smith Company, MAJ
ON City.
Olis.p UzMd, dronDandfii yBarfoidbhaw
Letts-Spencer Grocery Company, st.
oseph.
Letts-s Spencer Grocery Company,
Wichita.
OBITUARY..