Pergament Home Centers

Last updated
Pergament Home Centers
Industry Home improvement
Founded1935;88 years ago (1935) in Franklin Square, New York, United States
FounderLouis Pergament
Defunct2001 (2001)
FateBankruptcy
Parent Mancuso & Co.

Pergament Home Centers was a home improvement store chain with stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. [1] It specialized in the sale of flooring, paint, and wallpaper and was one of the first in the area to sell acrylic paint. [2] [3] At its zenith, the chain had 42 stores and sales of $375 million. [2]

In 2001, after facing stiff competition from The Home Depot and Lowe's, the company filed bankruptcy and shut down. [1]

History

The company had its roots in a store opened in 1935 by Louis Pergament in Franklin Square, New York. [1] [3]

In 1989, Mancuso & Co., owned by Robert F. Mancuso, and Equitable Capital Management acquired the company from the founding family for as much as $175 million via a leveraged buyout. [2] Equitable Capital Management invested over $11 million in the acquisition. [4] Michael H. Lurie became president and chief operating officer. [5]

In 1992, the company was restructured, including layoffs and store closings. [1] [2] Control of the company wound up in the hands of its lender, Westdeutsche Landesbank. [2]

In 1998, the company closed its last store in Connecticut. [6]

In 2001, after facing stiff competition from The Home Depot and Lowe's, the company filed bankruptcy and shut down. [1]

In 2013, Bob Pergament, the son of the founder, told his memoirs about the chain. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 PRISTIN, TERRY (February 27, 2001). "Pergament Home Centers, Now Bankrupt, Is Going Out of Business" . The New York Times .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Madore, James T. (February 29, 2000). "Pergament Home Centers Sold to Venture Capitalists". Newsday. Bloomberg News.
  3. 1 2 3 "Pergament memoir is must-read" (Press release). PR Newswire. August 15, 2013.
  4. "EQUITABLE CAPITAL PARTNERS, L.P. 1997 Form 10-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  5. CUFF, DANIEL F. (December 6, 1989). "A New Team in Place At Pergament Chain" . The New York Times .
  6. "PERGAMENT EXPRESS TO CLOSE LOCAL STORE". Hartford Courant . March 6, 1998.