Schell Leather Company

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Schell Leather Company
Company typePrivate
IndustryLeather goods, luggage, synthetic materials
Founded1870;155 years ago (1870) in Cincinnati, Ohio
FounderAlbert Schell, Charles J. Schell
Headquarters
St. Petersburg, Florida
,
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Charles J. Schell, Stephen Hahn
Products
  • Leather goods
  • Vinyl, plastic, and synthetic cases
  • Briefcases
  • Medical bags (Emdee)
  • Tool and travel bags

The Schell Leather Company (also known as Schell Leather Goods, Schell Leather Goods Company, or Schell Inc. [1] ) is an American manufacturer of carrying cases and bags made from leather, vinyl, plastic, nylon, and other synthetic materials. [1] Originally based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company was active for more than a century and later relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida.

History

The company was founded by Albert and Charles J. Schell, [2] [3] though sources differ on the year of establishment. One 1985 article gives the founding year as either 1865 or 1870, [1] while other records suggest operations began in 1901 [4] or even as late as 1925. [5] The company remained active until at least 1985. [1]

By 1929, Schell's factory was located at 1015 Race Street in Cincinnati. [6] It later moved to a two-story 100 ft × 100 ft (30 m × 30 m) facility at 2965 Central Parkway. [7] Construction on the building began around 1931 by Parkway Construction Co. at a cost of approximately US$70,000(equivalent to $1,447,330 in 2024), [8] although some sources indicate the move occurred closer to 1938. [9] Schell operated from that address until at least 1959, [10] then relocated between 1959 and 1962 to 242 West McMicken Avenue, [11] where it remained in operation through at least 1967. [12] In 1980, the company moved its headquarters and manufacturing operations to St. Petersburg, Florida. [1] [13]

Charles Schell was involved with the business for approximately 35 years, serving as general manager, operator, and leather buyer. [4] In 1968, Stephen Hahn acquired the company from the Schell family and became its president. [1] Under Hahn's leadership, Schell purchased a Chicago-based plastic-case manufacturer and relocated production to Florida. During this period, the company’s annual revenue grew to about $6.5 million (equivalent to $19 million in 2024). [1] The company also owned Action Leathercraft, Inc. in Commerce, California, and operated subsidiaries such as Allstate Custom Cases and Lords Business Cases. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lubitz, Mitch (April 5, 1985). "Busting Out: Carrying case manufacturer plans new St. Petersburg plant, offices". The Evening Independent . p. 11-A. Retrieved April 13, 2025. — Article states 115 years from 1985 = 1870 but later states 1865 so unclear.
  2. ↑ USD78901,"Brief case",issued April 14, 1929, assigned to Schell Leather Goods
  3. ↑ US1985521,"Flat-opening case",issued April 14, 1934, assigned to Schell Leather Goods
  4. 1 2 Treasury Decisions Under Customs and Other Laws. Vol. 69. United States Department of the Treasury and United States Customs Court, United States Government Printing Office. 1936. p. 699.
  5. ↑ Patterson, G.H. (1925). Office Appliances: The Newsstand Technical Trade Journal of Office Equipment. Vol. 42. p. 91.
  6. ↑ The Cincinnatian: Classified Membership Directory 1929. Vol. 7. Cincinnati (Ohio) Chamber of Commerce and Merchants' Exchange. 1929. pp. 22, 76.
  7. ↑ Department of Industrial Relations: Directory of Manufacturers in Ohio 1939. Ohio Division of Labor Statistics. 1939. p. 240.
  8. ↑ Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering. Vol. 38. McGraw Publishing Company, Inc. 1931. p. 496.
  9. ↑ "They Built a City: 150 Years of Industrial Cincinnati". The Cincinnati Post . 1938. p. 164.
  10. ↑ Hardware Retailer. 1959.
  11. ↑ Logan, William Boyd; Helen M. Moon (1962). Facts About Merchandise. Prentice-Hall. p. 286.
  12. ↑ MacRae's Blue Book. Vol. 1. 1967. p. 352.
  13. ↑ Rutan, Rick (January 23, 1981). "Job Motivation: Rosemary Travis Teaches Workers Techniques of Self-Discipline". The Evening Independent . p. 35. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
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