NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- More than 120 years ago, Eby-Brown, a leading consumer products distributor to convenience stores, was founded by two men named Jacob Eby and Peter Michels. On July 20, Jacob's grandchildren visited Eby's Montgomery, Ill., distribution center to tour the facilities and share some stories about the past.
Bob Eby, 88, from Jackson, Mich., Bill Eby, 84, from Seattle, and Joan Eby Hannan, 80, from Janesville, Wis., were hosted by co-president Tom Wake. Tom gave the family members a tour of the distribution center, during which a grinning Bob exhorted the [image-nocss] regional sales manager, "Hey, we need more sales! Get out there and get some more sales!"
The Ebys spoke fondly of how their grandfather and father's business served customers back in the dayGrandfather after all did start with a horse-drawn wagon. Tom shared with them the enormity of investment and complexity of Eby-Brown's current Cold Chain Logistics. The Ebys spent little time in the colder temperatures, but were amazed by the products offered and the technology behind it all.
Eby-Brown was honored to have some of the founding family members of the still privately held company return for a visit. It's always exciting to reconnect with family!
A privately held company, Eby-Brown, with headquarters in Naperville, Ill., is one of the largest distributors in the United States, providing consumer goods and other products to retailers in the convenience channel of trade. Small and large retail chains, as well as independent retailers throughout the eastern United States, have come to depend on Eby-Brown for a variety of distribution services, execution and flexibility in program design.
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