The Sidney herald., 1960-12-28
Sale
0fS&Q Hardware
Store Division


The sale of Janney Semple Hill
and Company's S and @ Hard
ware Store Division TO the Coast
to-CoaSt Stores Central Organi-
cation, Inc, was revealed today.
Both firms are leading Upper
Midwest wholesalers supplying
their member stores with s'hard
line" merchandise and operation
al assistance.
Janney's board chairman, Ben
ton j. Case, in making the an
nouncement, pointed out that his
company would continue to oper-
ate its Janco Division, which
sells floor covering and applian-
ces, and also continue to serve
their industrial and national ac-
counts from the firms Hopkins
warehouse.
Arthur c. Melamed, president
of Coast-to-Co Stores, indicat-
ed the purchase involved Sever
al millions of dollars in inventory
and included the transfer of all
Janney trade names including the
well known Janney Best Paint
lines"
Case revealed that the Janney
| Semple Hill Company owned
stores will operate in the future
under the Coast-to-Coas Stores
Franchise plan. He also stated that
notice of the sale has been mailed
to all of the 457 locally owned
S and @ stores, located in Is
states, and that a group of these
store owners were invited to meet
ings with officials of both COM
panies to be held in Minneapo-
lis on January 3rd, in Kansas
City ON January 9th, and Den
yer on January 18th.
In commenting on the transac-
ton, Case said: "We are pleased
that we could make these arrange
ments because we wanted to make
sure the S & @ stores would con-
tinue under their new association,
to receive the services they need
for their success. The Coast-to-
Coast Stores central organization,
in 80 years has become n of
the nations outstanding exclusively
ly voluntary 'hard lines" rner-
ohandising organizations with
over $40 franchised stores in 20
states. We made a thorough in
veStigation of several organiza-
tons and chose Coast-to-Coas
Stores because it has the best rec
ord"
Janney Semple Hill and Com
pany originated in Minneapolis
in 1866 as Janney & Moles, a re-
tail store. Some years later the
late Frank B. Semple and Horace
M. Hill became clerks in the store.
AS the Upper Midwest develop
ed, the firms activities gradually
became exclusively wholesale and
the retail store was sold. Thomas
b. Janney and Horace M. Hill
guided the operations of a rapidly
growing business until Janney's
death in 1924.
Horace Hill then became presi-
dent and continued in the office
until his death in 1913.
He was succeeded by his old
est son, Allan j. Hill, who served
until his retirement in 1852. Ben
ton j. Case, present chairman OF
!, the board, then became president.
| Associated with him were Henry
w. Hill and Horace P. Hill as ex-
ecutive vice-presidents.
In addition TO his activities al
Janney Semple Hill and Com
pany, Benton j. Case serves as z
member of the Board of Directors
of the Northwestern Nationa.
Bank, Northwestern National
Life Insurance Company; North
/, west Emancipation, S. T. Mo
Knight Company, Kellogg Com
mission Company, and the Great
} Northern Insurance Company. He
: IS a trustee of the Farmers ano
; Mechanics Saving Bank and the
| Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Other officers of Janney's are
Horace P. Hill, executive vice
president and treasurer, STANLEY
j. Mirocha, secretary and Lyle
. W. Weld, assistant secretary anc
treasurer.
! ! The Coast-to-Coast Stores plar
7" was founded in 1929 by Arthur
Maurice and the late Louis Mel.
! AIMED. Maurice L. Melamed is sec.
, retary-treasurer. H. j. Kantrud
the company's executive vice.
president, Joined the organization
in 1892. Other vice-presidents in.
: clude: York Langton, Adolpl
Link, and Irwin Rose in the Min.
, neapolis division and Russell D
Lippitt, general manager of tht
: Portland Division and warehouse
In August of 1858 Coast-to,
4 Coast Stores purchased the Yves
S Coast Division of Marshall-Well
Stores and then followed this III
five months later with hte pur.
chase of the combined Kelley
How-Thomson, Well
Company in Duluth.
=