In The Beginning . . .
It all began October 1, 1927, when H.H. Myers and Ernie Swain founded a jobbing
operation for soda fountains, restaurant and cafeteria equipment. The company
was successful and, in 1938, purchased the Mueller Fixture Company, a
woodworking operation. Its first national customer was Walgreen Agency Drug
Stores � which prompted expanding the company's sales area to just east of the
Rocky
Mountains.
Due to a backlog of orders during World War II and the overall growth of the business, Swain & Myers increased its production capacity to 80,000 sq. ft. by purchasing the Lincoln Casket Company of Lincoln, Illinois.
The Lundia Influence . . .
In 1957, Swain & Myers became a licensee of Lundia shelving and the company name
changed to Lundia, Swain & Myers, Inc. Lundia began with a patent obtained by
Mr. Harald Lundqvist, a Swedish carpenter who started his business with about
$200 and a workbench. He built Lundia to include licenses in 33 countries
throughout the world.
Lundqvist's patent was for pre-fabricated wood storage shelving that was adjustable by moving a small pin up or down the uprights. Strength was added to the wood shelf by small steel reinforcements inserted in each end.
Over the years, Lundia shelving was fabricated at such a rate that it moved from a 12,500 sq. ft. plant in Moline, Illinois to a 55,000 sq. ft. facility in Milan, Illinois.
Changing Times . . .
In order to stay ahead of the competition, Swain & Myers built a production
fixture plant in 1958 and doubled the size of that plant the next year. This was
known as the Case Goods Division of
Lincoln
Store Fixture Company. To accommodate growth, a new plant was built in 1962 and
Lincoln, Swain & Myers, Inc. became incorporated as an affiliated company. Then,
on March 31, 1966, the name of Swain & Myers, Inc., and all of its affiliated
companies was changed to avoid confusion. The new name was Myers Industries,
Inc. At this time, a new plant was built in Jacksonville, Illinois, which
expanded to 155,000 sq. ft. by 1970. During this time, Lundia converted from a
direct sales operation to independent agents. Lundia weathered the inflationary
period of the 1970s by consolidating and shifting manufacturing responsibilities
to the Jacksonville plant. Shortly thereafter, Lundia closed its Milan
facilities and placed all manufacturing, sales and administrative functions
within the Jacksonville facility. A strong trend from custom wood fixturing to
stock metal fixturing was becoming increasingly apparent by 1976. As a result,
the Myers group of companies acquired Kiechler Manufacturing Company, a
115-year-old metal fixture company in Cincinnati, Ohio. This enabled Myers to
produce all wood and metal fixtures for a substantial share of the retail
market.
Within the Myers Companies, Lundia has continued to lead the way in sales. This resulted in the completion of the consolidation in 1992 when the Installation Division was relocated to the Jacksonville plant and became an operating department within the company.
A Bright Future Lies Ahead . . .
As we at Lundia look ahead, we see great things on the horizon! Exciting new
products. Contemporary new finishes. Innovative new equipment. Yes, the outlook
is decidedly bright.
In the ever-changing world of
fixtures, you have to be flexible to stay ahead of the game. It's Lundia's
flexibility and adaptability that have earned us 
our
reputation for excellence in the fields of display fixturing and mobile and
stationary storage. And while we value our traditions, our current product
lines, and our time-honored way of doing things, we are also completely
committed to the now and the new! Scientific new equipment and procedures will
enable us to continue our quest of creating superior new products for our
customers. For that is the real future. When we ask, "What can we do for you
today?", we really mean bring us your ideas, your suggestions, your imagination.
Let's see what we can do ... together ... to make the future brighter for us
all.