Orchard Supply Hardware
 |
|
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: OSH (2012–13) |
| Industry | Retail – Home Improvement |
| Founded | San Jose, California (1931) |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, USA |
|
Number of locations
|
91 (as of June 2013[update]) |
| Products | Home improvement and gardening products |
|
Number of employees
|
5,400 |
| Parent |
|
| Website | www |
Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) is an American retailer of home improvement and gardening products. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Orchard Supply Hardware has dozens of locations throughout California, with expansions into Oregon.
After starting as a non-profit cooperative in 1931, the company later converted into a for-profit corporation before it was bought and sold by a number of different corporations during the 1980s. In 1996, the company was acquired by Sears. After a brief period as a public company in 2012–13, the company filed for a chapter 11 reorganization. In June 2013, the bulk of OSH's assets and locations were sold to the home improvement store chain, Lowe's. Since that time, the home improvement chain is being operated as a subsidiary and used for strategic expansion of retail operations.
Orchard Supply was formed in 1931 as the Orchard Supply Farmers Co-op by 30 farmers, consisting mostly of orchardists and fruit tree ranchers who banded together to form a cooperative to buy essential farm supplies. Each farmer put up $30 and in the midst of the Great Depression a new company was formed. Stanley B. Smith served as the company's first general manager and president.
Operations started in a rented warehouse at 230 Bassett St. in San Jose, CA. In spite of the Great Depression, the cooperative was successful. In 1933 the co-op moved to a larger location at 44 Vine St. in San Jose. The new location featured a large retail display area, off-street parking, and an adjoining warehouse.
In 1946 the company moved to a site at 720 West San Carlos St. in San Jose, a location still in operation. By then, there were almost 2000 members. In 1962, Albert B. Smith (Stanley's son) became president, expanding the business into a chain of stores which, at 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) each, were considered large at the time.
...
Wikipedia