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About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1950)
G apital Journal SEARS SEARS B I R T H D A 1 SPECIAL Section Jill JL SPECIAL Salem, Oregon, Wednesday, August 16, 1950 Section Hi ONE-CANDLE mmmmi . A , - . i ii Nii urTi'Dirm iMiiiifcSWI:;a5a.. - s&SSSSB Birthday Smile James F. Mosolf, manager of the Sears, Roebuck & Co., store in Salem, smiles as he scans records for the first year of operation in the new location in the Capitol street shopping center. From the smile, it's evident that he doesn't miss the birthday cake and single candle due him for the banner year. Story of Sears Store Rates as American Epic The story of Sears, Roebuck tt Co., whose Salem shopping center store celebrates its first birthday Wednesday, is one of most interesting In the annals of American business. Last year it took more than 116,552 full-time' employes to run the company plus 42,352 in part-time service. Yet in 1886 the business that became Sears, Roebuck & Co., was a one-man mail order house operated by the station agent in the little village of North Redwood, Minn. Because the station agent hap pened to be Richard W. Sears, there is a real story in that one man mail order house. The jeweler in North Red wood, afraid of becoming over stocked, decided not to accept a shipment of watches that had been sent to him. The shipment was returned to the railway of fice. The station agent who was full of ideas, obtained permis sion to dispose of the watches. He thought it would be to his credit if he was able to get the railroad its express charges and he was not averse to making a little spare-time money for him self. Young Sears went to work with an Idea that had been in his mind for some time. He sent hand-written letters to rail road men he knew and told them bout the watches. The watches old easily. The shipment vanished and left the young man with extra money in his pocket and with a merchandising idea whose pos sibilities were already beginning 1o excite him. Thus began his one-man mail order house which he operated in spare time dur ing his regime , as station agent at North Redwood and which grew to nationwide scale. Employes to Celebrate Birthday with Picnic ; Sears employes and their fam ilies will attend a birthday party picnic tonight at Paradise island. The party, celebrating the store's first birthday in the shopping center, will start ajfe,6:30 p. m. Three hundred and fifty are ex pected. The main event will be a soft ball game between the men from the first and second floors com peting against a team made up of men in the basement depart ments. There will be relay races for children. Jim Mosolf, store manager, has assured all there will be plenty of food, and the birthday cake will be big enough for the crowd. Sears Catalog Used To Compile History It is a story of historical im port that when Mark Sullivan, for his "Turn of the Century", sougni some manner of renact ment of the habits and customs of the people of the United States over a 25-year period he turn ed to a Sears catalog files. Mosolf, One-Time Big League Ball Star, Runs Salem Store Ever hear of the "mad Russian" of the major leagues? One of the original players to bear that sports title under the pressure of playing in the big ball parks of the nation with the Pittsburgh Firates, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Braves is the manager of the Sears, Roebuck & Co. store ' in Salem James F. Mosolf. Momentos of his early career hang on the wall of his office and rest on his desk, and his interest in the nation's favorite pastime still continues, Mosolf feels, too, that it was little more than a change of pace to step from baseball to his career with Sears. Base ball gave him confidence, and the ability to inspire teamwork. Sears Celebrates First Anniversary In Shopping Center With Special Sale Sears Employes Hold Shares Sears, Roebuck & Co. em ployes have a special interest in the business prosperity of Sa lem, according to James F. Mos olf, manager of the Sears store, which has its first birthday cele bration this week in the shop ping center. The employes are actually shareholders in the company through the Sears famous prof it sharing and pension plan. This plan, which was initiated in 1916, enables employer to in vest a part of their salaries each week in the company. This is more than matched by the com pany, and it has now developed to where Sears employes in their profit sharing and pension own a block of shares in the com pany. At the present time they own approximately 19 per cent of all outstanding stock. "Our people," said Mosolf, "are all independent business men and women. They want to see Salem grow and prosper and they can be depended on to do their utmost in that regard. They will translate that into top-flight service for their customers and our store." Banner Year James Heldman, who rounded out some 19 years of service for Sears, Roebuck & Co., during the past year as assistant manager of the Salem store, smiles with satisfaction as he checks records of past performance and the outlook for the future. Shopping Center Growing; Sears Is Largest Unit Latest unit of the Capitol street shopping center went into operation during the past week when the Towne Shop opened its doors on Capitol street The first store to open, Berg's market, began counting custom ers in March of 1946, and on August 11 of . the same year, Sears, Roebuck & Co., occupying the largest single unit in the two-block area, held its grand opening. Other units rapidly expanded the center, brain-child of investment-minded officials of the Pa cific Mutual Life Insurance com pany of Los Angeles. It was conceived as unit where shoppers coud come to shop and find virtually all of their merchandise needs from groceries to clothing as well as home furnishings. Interiors, colors, parking, air conditioning each need and convenience of the customer was considered with an eye to mak ing shopping not only an easy but a pleasant routine. With the start of the year of operation for Sears, proof of the sound judgment of the insurance company investors comes with the admission from Sears that the year in the center has set a new record for their business in Salem. Sears Catalog Gives Customers 'Extras' Into production of each Issue of Sears' catalog goes nearly 16, 000 tons of paper and enough printer's ink to fill two standard 60-foot length swimming pools. More than 3,000 people have had a hand in its planning, creation, and distribution. That's the bis general catalog of Sears, Roebuck & Co. Customers of the new Sears store in Salem find it pleasantly convenient to order from the catalog any Item not regularly carried in the merchandise stocks of the local store. A comfortable catalog shop ping department in the basement adjacent to the hardware de partment combined with a direct teletype to Seattle provides a special shopping service that will supplement the new stores Celebration of the first birthday of operation of the Sears, Roebuck & Co. store in the Capitol street shopping center gets under way Wednesday with a sale keyed to the birthday and back-to-school themes. James Mosolf, manager of the store during the past year, came to Salem several months before the business moved from its former State street location to the big gest unit of the center. He points out that business at the new site has ex ceeded all expectations and that the year of business which ended August 11, was the biggest year for Sears in the history of their business here. Mosolf and his assistant manager, James Heldman, In analyzing the effect of the center and Sears business during the past 12 months indicated that the movement had furthered business throughout the entire city. During the past year, some 175 persons were listed on the average payroll at Sears with the staff reaching 300 during the peak of the Christmas season. The employ ment record, in comparison with previous years in the former location when the totals were far below the cur rent number of employes, bears out the statement of Mosolf concerning the boom in business with the new de velopment. The past year has been marked with several Innova tions, aimed at bringing throngs to the shopping center. Several small carnival attractions have been set up dur ing the year, and one of the biggest events was a square dance staged by Sears in the huge, 500-car parking lot adjacent to the department store. The number of danc ers was estimated at up to 10,000. One of the most novel features for public ease during the past year came when Sears provided bleacher seats to permit spectators to view the Cherryland Festival parade. The business year at the new location has also been marked by several visits to Salem of Sears' president and other top officials of the company. And on every visit, the officials have commended the local man agement and expressed gratitude for Salem business. The new store was planned with the shopper in mind. Every detail of an excursion to the center was geared to meeting the needs of men, women and children not only with merchandise but with convenience. The parking areas made the store accessible. Broad aisles ease crowding of shoppers in the air-conditioned interior. Demands from shoppers for service to the area led to routing most City Transit Lines buses past the center for their convenience. With the opening of the birthday and back-to-school sale, Sears expects to launch its second year of opera tion at the new center convinced that the f uture will con tinue with success. To launch the sale, the company will stage a picnic for employees for their efforts during the past year. (SEARS) Mou II riper nilAI ITV Al I I'ttl y JzZrrrt T""l""w I VERY FINELY KNIT, 7W EXQUISITELY CLEAR ,'J& FULL FASHIONED FOR (-ftd ' PERFECT FIT A818 W REINFORCED HEELS, TOPS AND TOES NEW FALL SHADES ?yX. Clu.S.AT.OFF. I Vn f" famous, flawless, first quality V PLENTY FREE PARKING SHOP IN AIR-CONDITIONED COMFORT Z&Zy&S SEARS 55 PhonT3-9109Plt01 (tremendous facilities.
