100 Years
Ed O'Brien started his wholesaler business on the 26th of November 1907, with the Toronto Daily Star, as a part-time operation with ten dealers. At the same time, he was working in a cigar factory and this business was strictly for some extra cash.
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That very first day, he received 100 evening papers, loaded them onto a child’s wagon and trundled them around to half a dozen news agents in the downtown area of Hamilton Ontario. In short order, he opened a small office on King Street East in Hamilton with 150 square feet of floor space, which contained a desk and a phone. |
| The business grew and prospered, with Ed joining the business full time in 1909, and at this time he rented a horse and bought a wagon for deliveries. In 1909, the Hearst franchise was acquired, followed by in 1914 the Curtis franchise. In 1916, the first truck was purchased, at a cost of $600. |
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E.H. O’Brien grew his business and with it his reputation until he became one of the most respected and widely known men on the circulation side of the business. Fifty years ago he was bestowed great honour by prominent executives in the American publishing world.
Over the years, there were plenty of changes, including the company name, which changed to Mountain City News, serving publishers and Ontario retailers in an area from Grimsby to Burlington. Jim Pattison purchased the business in 1972 and continued its growth with an equal share of entrepreneurial vision and insight.
The industry is an exciting and ever-changing one and in 1995, reflecting changes in the business, our name changed one more time, to The News Group, a company that today is national, serving Canadian retailers from coast to coast. We have grown to over 1000 employees, serving over 6500 customers with multiple suppliers of the greatest magazines and books available.
It is with great pride that we have joined a very elite group of companies and organizations, serving customers and our suppliers for 100 years - the Century level. Very few companies and organizations reach this achievement.
We thank E.H. O'Brien for his vision of 100 years ago and also thank all of our people, our partners and our customers, for all of the collective efforts that have enabled us to achieve this very important milestone. Our company was founded on entrepreneurial spirit and hard work, all which continue and will lead us into the future in this unique and exciting industry.
Credits: Hamilton Central Library Archives “Publishers Gather To Honor Eddie O’Brien” - News Biography, 1957. |
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