True Value
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
True Value Company is one of the world’s largest retailer-owned hardware cooperatives with approximately 5,800 independent retail locations worldwide. It is focused on serving its retailers by providing them with the right products, knowledge and expertise they need to successfully serve their customers and grow profitably. True Value Company continues to excel by putting retail growth at the center of everything it does.
The co-op has grown considerably over the years and today supports its retailers through 12 regional distribution centers and 3,000 associates. The corporate headquarters are in Chicago, IL.
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[edit] History
Cotter & Company was established in 1948 by John Cotter. The co-op originated with 25 members and operated under the True Value identity.
ServiStar Hardware (formerly American Hardware Supply) had previously purchased and merged with Coast to Coast Hardware and had renamed itself to Servistar Coast to Coast Hardware. Their hardware stores were operating under either ServiStar or Coast to Coast retail identities.
In 1997 they merged with Cotter & Company to form the TruServ corporation. Each company and all their stores had different operating and ordering systems as well as overlapping distribution networks. Merging the systems of the three companies proved to be a difficult and costly undertaking, but ultimately it was accomplished.
Most ServiStar and Coast to Coast stores changed to the True Value identity. In 2006 the name was changed to the True Value Company to better reflect the major retail identity of the corporation.
[edit] Home & Garden Showplace
Home & Garden Showplace is the garden center store identity of the True Value Company. It was started by ServiStar to help build their lawn and garden sales. Today there are over 260 Home & Garden Showplace stores across the United States. Each store is independently owned. They purchase merchandise through the True Value distribution centers and buy from many quality growers of plants through various True Value buying programs.
[edit] Green Thumb
Green Thumb garden products are made by many different manufacturers worldwide. They are manufacturered to the specifications of True Value and are sold exclusively in True Value and Home & Garden Showplace stores.
