JC Whitney Presented by
GretschCo Shopping Emporium
Henry Ford's Model T had been in mass production for only seven years, when Israel Warshawsky decided to join the emerging automotive industry. As cars began to break down, Israel saw an opportunity to mine replacement parts
from derelict automobiles. In 1915 he bought a piece of property on Chicago's south side at State Street and Archer Avenue and opened a scrap metal yard, The Warshawsky Company. Soon, the demand for auto parts outstripped the supply of derelict cars. Israel began
buying up failed auto manufacturers and added new parts to his inventory then added a retail store.
Israels son, Roy, joined his father and proposed a consumer catalog to make products available nationwide. Roy placed a $60 ad in Popular Mechanics and invited readers to send in 25 cents for a "giant auto parts catalog." The ad produced a flood of response and
the JC Whitney Catalog was on its way to becoming the do-it-yourselfer's favorite best seller. By 1943 The Warshawsky Company retail outlet was now the biggest automotive department store in the world. When Roy saw a need for products that didn't exist, he
contracted manufacturers to produce them thus the birth of aftermarket parts.
Today the Warshawsky family continues it's dedication to the company Israel founded so long ago - J.C. Whitney & Co.
