Getz Bros & Company in Hong Kong
“Getz Bros. & Co.- America’s largest non-commodity international marketing and services company – traces its beginnings to 1860 and a place called Lower Lake, California, a frontier area one hundred miles north of San Francisco. Joseph Getz, a Prussian immigrant, opened a general store there that served farmers in the area, selling dry goods and groceries.
By the early 1880s Getz Bros. was exporting food products to customers in Shanghai and Hong Kong, which later led to the opening of the first Getz overseas office, in Shanghai. The company did well shipping foodstuffs to China, its reach soon extending beyond Shanghai into northeast China, a populous region with an appetite for the cheese, oils, and meat products Getz exported.
With World War I came the opportunity for the firm to greatly increase its penetration in China, as British and other European traders exited the market. Getz Bros. opened a second branch office in Hong Kong to serve south China with an expanded selection of American-produced hardware, house wares, and packaged goods, in addition to its established line of food products.
HK Telegraph 31.5.1924
Having been operated in Hong Kong and China market for nearly a century under two foreign companies, (Getz Bros. Inc. and Muller and Phipp) the Hong Kong operation was incorporated locally in 1978, by merging its Consumer trading unit with its Industrial products and service operation…”(1)
1963 Advert Courtesy: IDJ
This article was first posted on 11th May 2017.
Hi There,
My wife’s great- great -grandfather was Louis Getz one of the original Getz Brothers and one time president of the company. Milton Getz, Louis’ son was my wife’s great grandfather.
I have been researching the history of the family and their various business interests for many years, yet I have not been able to find any details about the transfer of the company out of the family hands. I would be very interested in any information relating to the initial sale of the company to non family control. I am wondering when that occurred and who the new owners were.
I have come across a few references to two May brothers who seem to have taken over management in the twenties at some time -perhaps after the death of Louis Getz.
R. A. May and his brother O. D. May seem to have played an important role during the transfer of the company out of the Getz family’s control, but I have very little to go on.
Any other information and detail would be more than welcome and if there is someone there interested in and knowledgeable about the beginnings of the Getz family business I would be happy to share old photos and other materials that you might find interesting.
My Best Regards to whom this may concern,
Chris Kallenburg
Dear Chris, I am the current President of Getz and also my family is the current owner of Getz. I have worked for them for nearly sixty years. In my spare time when not working I try to find out information on the history of the company. Unfortunately I,like you, can find little information on the company. After it was sold to Trans Union in the early 60’s it was then acquired by the Pritzker family out of Chicago. I purchased the business in 2004 and have continued to maintain the legacy of the founders. Through these acquisitions there seemed to be little interest to maintain documents. I ahve some old photos and a couple of memorabilia but that is it. I would be happy to share details with you to give you more insight into the business history and likewise from your side. Let’s keep in touch