Les Wexner the founder of The Limited

Leslie "Les" H. Wexner was born to Russian Jewish immigrant parents in 1937. His parents, Bella and Harry, opened a clothing store - which they named Leslie’s – in downtown Columbus in 1951 and it was there that Wexner began learning about the apparel industry.

Young Wexner dreamed of becoming an architect but was discouraged by his father and instead went to Ohio State University to study business and law.

In 1963, Wexner borrowed $5000 from an aunt and opened his first store, The Limited. The name came from Wexner’s conviction that the store ought to specialize. The new store sold moderately priced, casual women’s sportswear. His ambitious were modest.

In its first year, The Limited achieved $160,000 in sales – about 60 percent more than he had expected. A year later, he opened his second store and by 1970 he had eleven stores.

After the company went public in 1969, he used some of the profit from the stock sale to further expand, and had built the chain up to 100 stores by 1976.

Wexner saw an opportunity in 1982 with the struggling lingerie company Victoria’s Secret. Wexner stepped in, bought it for a million dollars and embarked upon a major overhaul.
Les Wexner the founder of The Limited

Cadwallader Colden Washburn and General Mills Company

Beginning in 1856, Cadwallader C. Washburn – a future Wisconsin governor (1872 – 1874) acting under his corporate designate, the Minneapolis Milling Company, gained control of and leased the power rights to the water flowing over the St. Anthony Falls to nearby mills operators.

In 1856, Washburn founded his own incredibly large mill, which began to mill four in 1866.

There Washburn, in partnership with John Crosby, built a mill along the Mississippi that came to be called ‘Washburn Folly’ because the locals found it difficult to believe that the flour from Midwestern spring wheat would ever catch on.

The company concentrated on promoting its signature product, Gold Medal flour. In 1928, the Washburn Mills Company soon to be renamed General Mills, introduced a cereal.

He introduced a wheat flake that became Wheaties in the 1920s, and is still popular today.

The cereal’s first connection with sports was not until 1933, when the slogan ‘The Breakfast of Champions’ emerged.

During World War II, General Mills emerged the good citizen as it adapted its Minneapolis facilities for the development and production of intricate torpedo directors for use by the Navy.

General Mills introduced many new cereals, including Trix (1954), Lucky Charms (1963) and Honey Nut Cheerios (1979).

In 2001, General Mills acquired the Pillsbury Company.
Cadwallader Colden Washburn and General Mills Company

Bernard H. Kroger the founder of Kroger

In 1876, Bernard H. Kroger began selling tea and coffee door to door in Cincinnati.

Kroger formed Great Western Tea Company with his friend in 1883. By 1885, the company had four stores.

He expanded to almost thirty stores by 1900. In 1902 Great Western Tea Company was renamed Kroger Grocery and Baking and 40 stores were included in the chain.

Kroger was adamant about buying quality foods and testing what he solid. He was one of the first to advertise extensively in the daily newspaper.

He pioneered methods of bulk buying, passing savings on to customers. In the early twentieth century Kroger became the first grocer to bring a meat department into grocery store – and fought a long battle with his butchers to prevent them from short-weighing and stealing.

In 1928 Bernard Kroger was succeeded by his son, Bernard H. Kroger Jr.
Bernard H. Kroger the founder of Kroger