ExiledInIllinois Posted August 5, 2006 Share Posted August 5, 2006 I believe they are Canadian. No idea if they still exist. I recall the Schmidt name, although I think they showed up after I left town in 1978. There was a food distributor named Flickinger's (sp) in Cheektowaga. Bells? - dunno... IIRC, in Bflo., they started out as part of the IGA thing (which I think stood for Independent Grocer's Association - or "I Gyp Anyone" - take your pick ). I know that the local, small grocery - Betzer's, located on Kenmore next to Koehler-Redden drug store corner of Colvin, moved to the Kenmore side and opened a Bell's not far from the Colvin theater. Bob Betzer - I don't remember the wife's name. Having some sort of personal relationship with merchants was fairly common when I was a kid. 736038[/snapback] Wow... You are ancient Cincy!........ I think PJS took over around the time you left... Flickingers supplied Tops??? I am pretty sure the transition went Loblaws to Bells to IGA (later in the 1990's after I left)...??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 5, 2006 Share Posted August 5, 2006 My father worked at Peter J. Schmidt for 28 years. The Bells stores were independently owned (franchises) and Schmidt was the warehouse on Broadway near the Thruway. Loblaws was a Canadian chain with a warehouse on Genesee across from the airport (my uncle worked there > 30 years). The Canadian who owned Loblaws bought Schmidt, made the Loblaws in the US Bells and merged the warehouses on Genesee Street. Eventually theye were sold to other people and they ran it into the ground (more people in the office than in the warehouse) around 1991. Flickinger's was the warehouse for Super Duper. When Burt Flickinger (the one you see mentioned in the paper from time to time) was in college, his father told him to work in the warehouse for a summer, so he would know what it was like. Flickinger's had a strict no nepotism policy and he couldn't work at his father's warehouse. He got a job at Peter J Schmidt loading trucks and unloading boxcars on third shift for one summer. 736082[/snapback] Thanks! Wacka... My mother was an accountant with PJS starting in 1979 (Bailey) then made the move to W. Seneca... Did you go to the family picnics that they had at Darien Lake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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