Homak Mfg. Co. Inc.

Homak Mfg. Co. Inc. was a sheet metal factory in the United States from 1947 to 2004 which produced tool boxes, roller cabinets, hospital carts,[1] and security/gun cabinets.[2] [3]

Homak Mfg. Co. Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryMetal processing
FateClosed 2004
Founded1947 (1947) in Chicago, US
FounderSigmund H Danziger Jr.
ProductsTool boxes
Roller cabinets
Gub cabinets
Websitehomak.com

History

The company was founded in 1947 in Chicago by Sigmund H. Danziger Jr., the son of Sigmund H. Danziger, a sales representative for houseware products. He began his business career "jobbing" for Chicago manufacturers while a student at the University of Chicago.[4] After the World War II he purchased a bathroom cabinet manufacturer on the south side of Chicago. Naming the new company Homak, using a sign he noted on a hat store, he began manufacturing steel kitchen cabinets and rapidly moved to a new 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m2) building. In the early 1960s, an order for tool boxes lead to the production of a hardware line including roller cabinets, tool boxes, and other accessories. Through the 1970s and 1980s, most of the major retailers and chains of the time became either line or private label customers. In 1979, Sigmund Danziger died and his wife Gertrude ran the company for the next 25 years. During this time, the company moved to a 430,000 sq ft (40,000 m2) facility in Bedford Park, Illinois at 5151 W 73rd St. Homak employed hundreds of people and was amongst the largest privately held sheet metal companies in the US with sales of over $100 million in the 1990s.[5]

Products

The company entered the hardware business in the 1950s and produced a line of tool boxes for True Value and independent outlets. In the 1970s and through 2004, Homak manufactured large roller and garage cabinets that were marketed through mass retailers and box stores as well as hardware chains. Major customers included Walmart, Kmart, Lowe's, The Home Depot True Value, Ace Hardware, Montgomery Ward, Coast-to-Coast, Costco, Meijer, Pep Boys, Fingerhut, NAPA, etc. [6] [7]

Richard Junge conceived of a consumer gun-cabinet line in the early 1980s. Due to the large production and finishing lines, Homak was able to enter the market at a near monopoly level for the pricing. Major customers included Walmart, Sam’s Club, Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabellas, and Sports Authority. [8]

See also

References
  1. "Homak Manufacturing Co Inc". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  2. "Global Portable Toolbox Market Insights Report 2020 Worldwide Market Trends & Opportunities to 2025". The Courier. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  3. "Security Cabinets Market Size Global Industry Analysis, Segments, Top Key Players, Drivers and Trends to 2026". Fractovia. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  4. "Sigmund H. Danziger Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Literature". The University of Chicago - Division of Humanities.
  5. "Kleen V. Homak Manufacturing Company". Casemine. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  6. Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation. October 1994.
  7. DIY Retailing. 1985. p. 247.
  8. Kron, Joan (1978). High-tech: The Industrial Style and Source Book for the Home. C.N Potter. p. 246. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
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