Abt Electronics
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retailing |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Founder | David Abt Jewel Abt |
| Headquarters | Glenview, Illinois, U.S. |
| Products | Consumer Electronics Appliances |
| Revenue | $400 million (2021 est.) |
Number of employees | 1,650 (2022) |
| Website | Official website |
Abt Electronics is a privately held, family-operated retailer specializing in consumer electronics, major appliances, and furniture within the United States. The company manages an expansive single-site facility covering 880,000 square feet situated on 70 acres (280,000 m2) in Glenview, Illinois. This location employs approximately 1,200 staff and includes a 350,000-square-foot retail area on 37 acres as of 2015. The business has maintained an online presence since 1997. Currently, Abt Electronics distributes products nationwide across the US. Their operations have been rooted in the Chicago market since their establishment in 1936.
History
During the early 1930s, Mr. Abt sold radios at the former Fair Store on State Street. Initially interested in entering the grocery sector, his wife Jewel opposed this plan due to concerns about perishable stock and early morning market trips. Consequently, they launched Abt Radio in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.
The inception of Abt Electronics dates back to 1936 when Jewel (née Fischman) Abt provided her husband David with $800 to initiate their business venture. Initially named Abt Radio, the store focused on selling small electronic devices and operated from a modest storefront with a service department located in Chicago’s Logan Square district. Over time, Abt Electronics has experienced significant growth. Presently, the company employs over 1,650 individuals within a combined retail and warehouse space totaling 450,000 square feet in Glenview, Illinois—a suburb of Chicago. In May 2021, Abt revealed plans to expand their warehouse by an additional 430,000 square feet, effectively doubling the facility's size; construction completion was projected for October 2021.
Timeline
- 1936 - Jewel and Dave Abt establish Abt Radio with an initial investment of $800 at 2835 N. Milwaukee in Chicago, focusing on selling small electronic devices.
- 1953 - Bob Abt, who later served as CEO and passed away on July 23, 2015, begins part-time and summer work at Abt Radio.
- 1955 - The business relocates to the Logan Square site at 2858 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Inventory is stored off-premises at the Hollander warehouse, with a single van handling all deliveries.
- 1971 - The Abt family launches a new store in Niles, Illinois.
- 1977 - Closure of the Logan Square location occurs.
- 1986 - The Niles store undergoes expansion, doubling its footprint from 12,000 to 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2).
- 1990 - On December 9, the Niles location ceases operations.
- 1990 - The fourth Abt store opens on December 10 in Morton Grove, Illinois.
- 1990 - Initiation of a recycling program.
- 1997 - Launch of Abt.com as an authorized online retailer for prominent brands including Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Bose, and Onkyo.
- 2002 - The Morton Grove store closes; meanwhile, on May 26, Abt inaugurates its fifth outlet in Glenview, Illinois.
- 2005 - On May 25, Chicago honors Jewel and David Abt by dedicating the intersection of Wolfram and Milwaukee Ave. as Jewel and David Abt Way.
- 2008 - Jewel and David Abt are inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame.
- 2008 - June marks the opening of the Abt Design Center.
- 2008 - In October, a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) recycling facility is launched.
- 2008 - The Chicago Tribune names Abt among the city's Top Workplaces.
- 2009 - The Mobile Installation division ranks among the top 100 best retailers and installers according to Mobile Electronics Inc.
- 2010 - Control4 awards Abt the Dealer of the Year title for home automation solutions.
- 2010 - Abt secures a position within the top 10 on Chicago Tribune's "Top Chicago Workplaces" list for employee satisfaction in the area.
- 2010–2020 - Consumer Reports recognizes Abt as the "Best Place to Buy Large Appliances" for eleven straight years.
- 2011 - The Chicago Tribune ranks Abt as the number one workplace in its "Top Chicago Workplaces" list.
- 2012 - Again named the top workplace by Chicago Tribune in its annual "Top Chicago Workplaces."
- 2013 - WorkplaceDynamics ranks Abt #20 nationwide among best places to work.
- 2016 - Once more honored as Chicago Tribune's #1 workplace in their "Top Chicago Workplaces."
- 2016 - Receives the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.
- 2016 - Completion of a rooftop solar array consisting of 1,500 panels capable of generating 850 megawatts annually.
- 2020 - Awarded the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics for a second time.
- 2021 - Opens a new 30,000-square-foot recycling center on-site.
- 2021 - Consumer Reports lists Abt among the "Best Places to Buy Small Appliances."
- 2021 - Begins construction on a 429,524-square-foot expansion project that will double warehouse capacity.
Environmental practices
In 2006, Abt established a dedicated recycling facility that gathers the company's discarded cardboard, plastic, and foam packaging materials, preparing them for resale to recycling vendors. In 2021, the company expanded its efforts by launching a new 30,000-square-foot recycling center. Through this initiative, Abt diverts approximately 2.2 million pounds of cardboard, 350,000 pounds of styrofoam, 1.4 million pounds of electronic waste, and 13 million pounds of appliances from landfill disposal.
Additionally, in October 2016, Abt installed a rooftop solar energy system consisting of over 1,500 solar panels with an annual electricity generation capacity of 645,000 kWh. The electricity generated supports daily facility operations and is stored in a battery bank made up of Tesla PowerPack units with a total capacity of 500 kW.