About
JC Whitney
The JC Whitney Story
How a 1915 scrap metal yard grew to the largest direct marketer of "everything automotive."
Chicago 1915. Henry Ford's Model T had been in mass production for only seven years, when a Lithuanian immigrant named Israel Warshawsky decided to climb on the running board of the emerging automotive industry. As cars began to break down, Israel saw an opportunity to mine replacement parts from derelict automobiles. He bought a piece of property on the city's south side at State Street and Archer Avenue and opened a scrap metal yard, The Warshawsky Company.
Industrial growth generated by World War I put the salvage business into high gear. Soon, the demand for auto parts outstripped the supply of derelict cars. Israel began buying up failed auto manufacturers and added new parts to his inventory. To welcome more customers, Israel added a retail store.
The Warshawsky Company grew right through the Great Depression, when few people could afford new cars or even new parts. By 1934, the company had a larger store and a successful wholesale catalog distributed exclusively through Chicago-area gas stations and mechanics. It also had a new employee with bright, new ideas: Israel's son, Roy Warshawsky.
Roy joined his father just after graduating from the University of Chicago and proposed a consumer catalog to make products available nationwide. Roy placed a $60 ad in Popular Mechanics and invited readers to send in 25 cents for a "giant auto parts catalog." The ad produced a flood of response and the JC Whitney Catalog was on its way to becoming the do-it-yourselfer's favorite best seller.
When Israel died in 1943, leadership of the company passed to Roy. As a second world war cut back the supply of civilian goods, the demand for auto parts soared. By 1947, the retail store occupied an entire city block at 1900-1924 South State Street. The Warshawsky Company retail outlet was now the biggest automotive department store in the world -- "everything automotive."
The post-war Baby Boom years spurred more growth on the catalog side of the business. The consumer catalog broke 100 pages, moved to 24-hour ordering and spawned a series of specialty catalogs targeted to key market segments.
Like his father, Roy developed new strategies to respond to changing customer needs. When Roy saw a need for products that didn't exist, he contracted manufacturers to produce them. As consumer auto shows became more popular, Roy initiated a cooperative effort among retailers and manufacturers to make it easier for consumers to purchase independent aftermarket products. That effort led to the formation of the Automotive Parts & Accessories Association in 1967 and the election of Roy Warshawsky as its first president.
Roy retired in 1991 and the Warshawsky family has continued to own and operate J.C. Whitney & Co. To this day the company proudly maintains an incredible dedication to customer satisfaction, a vision started by Israel and Roy Warshawsky so long ago.
The year 1997 brought the sad news of Roy Warshawsky's passing. It also brought new accomplishments that Roy would applaud. To step up service to all of its customers, the company built a new 360,000 square-foot Operations Center in La Salle, Illinois. This state-of-the-art facility puts the power and efficiency of new technology behind the efforts of a growing staff. And to make JC Whitney more accessible to computer users, the company opened a site on the World Wide Web.
Today, more than 80 years since Israel Warshawsky began recycling used auto parts, the Warshawsky/JC Whitney Company is the largest direct marketer of auto parts and accessories. Through a growing family of catalogs, http://www.jcwhitney.com and a new outlet store, millions of customers have easy access to "everything automotive." (The preceding About JC Whitney section is provided for informational purposes only and was retrieved on February 08, 2006 from http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/AboutUsView/c-10101/s-10101) Back to TopJC Whitney Shipping Information Shipping Options Standard Delivery
Most standard delivery orders ship U.S. Mail-Parcel Post.
Please allow 7-10 business days for delivery.
• Orders to Alaska and Hawaii will ship via FedEx®.
Please add an additional $17.99 charge per order
• Orders to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and
the Pacific Islands will be shipped primarily via Priority
Mail. (Parcel Post will be used for orders over 30 lbs.) Please
add an additional $17.99 charge per order.
• Orders to APO/FPO addresses will be shipped primarily
via Priority Mail. (Parcel Post will be used for orders over
30 lbs.) Please add an additional $4.99 charge per order.
• Hazardous items cannot be shipped via Priority Mail
or off-shore via FedEx®.
FedEx Standard Overnight® Delivery †
Order by 3:00 p.m. (CST) and receive your order the next business
day (by 7:00 p.m. local time).
FedEx 2Day® Delivery †
Order by 3:00 p.m. (CST) and receive your order in 2 business
days (by 7:00 pm local time).
* For orders containing large or heavy items and shipped FedEx
2-Day or Overnight, an additional $7.00 to $20.00 surcharge
per item will apply.
FedEx® Ground Delivery †
Receive your order in 3-5 business days. Order by 3:00 p.m.
(CST) for same day shipping.
FedEx® Ground C.O.D.
Same restrictions as FedEx® Ground Delivery above. $10
will be added to the standard FedEx® Ground rates. Additionally
these orders must be shipped within the continental U.S. to
an actual street address, not a postal box. For all details
regarding our C.O.D. Payment option, view details.
† FedEx® requires a full street address. Rural addresses
require a phone number. This service available only for in-stock
merchandise shipped from our warehouse. Not available for
stock numbers ending with F, FE or E or hazardous materials
(flammable gas, liquids and solids, gaseous and pressurized
products including aerosols). Not available to addresses outside
Continental U.S. (Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands,
Guam, Pacific Islands, Canada and International), APO, FPO
or Post Office boxes. Certain orders may be cost prohibitive
to ship at express rates; additional surcharges may apply.
Shipping Notes
All orders shipping outside of the United States
or Canada will require a follow up e-mail with a shipping
quote before processing your order. If you have any questions
or need assistance with an international order, please contact
Customer Service by fax at +1(800) 228-2888, or e-mail at
international@jcwhitney.com.
Canadian Orders
Please check the shipping chart in your Canadian catalog or
call (800) 553-1872, Monday through Friday, 7a.m. to 7p.m.
(CST) for shipping costs before submitting your order.
Shipping Codes Stock
numbers ending with F, FE
or E (ie: 00ZX0000F)
• We must have your full address and telephone number
• Truck items will not be shipped outside the 48 contiguous
states
• Contact Customer Service if you need assistance
F - Shipped Directly From Factory
These products are shipped directly from the factory and may
take a little longer to reach you. Many are custom fit or
"custom made," so they not only come from the factory, they
look like they were installed at the factory. We think you'll
agree the few extra days you may wait to get them is a small
price to pay for this extra effort, and the end result will
prove it! Please allow 3-4 weeks for shipment.
FE - Shipped Directly From the Factory
by Truck/Air Freight
Same as F above, but shipped from the factory by truck/air
freight. An additional charge of $50 to $100 per item will
apply, depending upon the item size. Assistance may be required
in unloading heavy, bulky merchandise. Once unloaded, the
driver is not required to further assist you in moving your
order beyond that point.
E - Shipped Directly From JC Whitney Warehouse by
Truck/Air Freight
If your order contains a stock number ending in E , an additional
charge of $50 to $100 per item will apply, depending upon
the item size. There are no additional charges due upon delivery.
Assistance may be required in unloading heavy, bulky merchandise.
Once unloaded, the driver is not required to further assist
you in moving your order beyond that point.
OS - Oversized Items
For orders containing very large or heavy items, a $7.00 surcharge
per item will apply. See above
Truck Deliveries
Please do not accept any shipments that are damaged
beyond use. For shipments with minor external damage, open
the shipping container(s) and inspect goods. If necessary,
refuse the shipment. If either of these things occur, describe
all damages in writing on the carrier's paperwork prior to
signing. If you discover that the merchandise is damaged after
you have accepted the delivery, contact our Customer Service
department immediately. They will provide the assistance you
require.
(The preceding art.com Shipping Information section is provided for informational purposes only and was retrieved on February 8, 2006 from http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ShippingView/c-10101/s-10101) |
