JC Whitney
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | Chicago, IL 1915 |
| Headquarters | LaSalle, IL |
| Products | Aftermarket Automotive Parts and Accessories |
| Parent | U.S. Auto Parts |
| Website | JC Whitney |
JC Whitney is a retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories. As of 2010, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Auto Parts
History
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.
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 (along with the rest of Whitney Automotive Group) was acquired by U.S. Auto Parts for $27.5 million.[2]
LaSalle, Illinois, location
The LaSalle, Illinois, facility contains both the public retail outlet center as well the expansive distribution center. This facility is also affiliated with Carparts.com, Stylintrucks.com and Allbikesupershop.com. Currently, the company's customer service is being handled in the Philippines. The LaSalle call center and the Independence, Ohio call centers have both been closed or are in the processing of closing.
External links
References
- ↑ "Multichannel Merchant". August 1, 2002.
- ↑ "US Auto Parts Investor Relations Web Site". August 17, 2010.