| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | Chicago, IL 1915 |
| Headquarters | Chicago, IL |
| Products | Aftermarket Automotive Parts and Accessories |
| Parent | U.S. Auto Parts |
| Website | JC Whitney |
JC Whitney began its life in 1915 as The Warshawsky Company, a scrap metal yard on the South Side of Chicago. The company's founder was a Lithuanian immigrant named Israel Warshawsky. Throughout World War I, Israel bought failed auto manufacturers and added new parts to his inventory. The Warshawky Company continued to grow, even during the Great Depression. The company closed its Chicago location and opened a new location in LaSalle, Illinois in 1997. However, it still has its headquarters downtown Chicago at 111 East Wacker Street.
In 1934, Israel's son Roy joined his father at the company after graduating from the University of Chicago. Roy proposed expanding out from the Chicago-area with a nationwide catalog and placed an ad in Popular Mechanics for sixty dollars. The ad offered readers a "giant auto parts catalog" if they sent in twenty-five cents and response to the ad was huge.
Roy took charge after his father's death in 1943. He continued to grow the business through World War II, always developing new strategies in response to changing customer needs.
Roy retired in 1991.
On June 26, 2002, The Riverside Company acquired JC Whitney.[1]
In 2007, The Riverside Company created Whitney Automotive group, which owns other companies such as CarParts.com, StylinTrucks.com, and AllBikeSupershop.com
On August 17, 2010 JCWhitney was acquired by U.S. Auto Parts.[2]
Currently the La Salle, IL facility contains both the phone order call center as well the expansive distribution center. This facility is also affiliated with Carparts.com, Stylintrucks.com and Allbikesupershop.com.