B. Forman Co.

B. Forman Co.

File:B. Forman Co. Department Store Final Logo.png
Company type	Department Store
Industry	retailing
Founded	Rochester, New York, United States (1911 (1911))
Founder	Benjamin Forman
Defunct	1994 (1994)
Fate	Purchased by McCurdy's
Successor	Kaufmann's (1990–2006) Macy's (2006–present) The Bon-Ton
Key people	Edward Forman
Products	clothing, merchandise,

B. Forman Co. was a retail establishment based in Rochester, New York, primarily recognized for its upscale women's apparel. Established by Benjamin Forman in the early 1900s, it once held the distinction of being the largest store of its category between New York and Chicago. The company ceased operations in 1994. Alongside McCurdy & Co., B. Forman Co. played a significant role in developing Rochester's Midtown Plaza.

Founder

Benjamin Forman, the originator of B. Forman Co., was born on August 29, 1874. His 1921 passport application records his birthplace as "Lemburg, Austria" and names Abraham Forman as his father. This location corresponds to modern-day Lviv, situated in western Ukraine, which was part of the Austrian Empire during the 19th century. Various U.S. Census documents identify his native tongue as Yiddish. According to his 1921 passport record, he arrived in the United States on October 10, 1891.

Initial tailoring business

A Democrat and Chronicle article from 2016 notes that Forman relocated from New York to Philadelphia, then Ithaca and Syracuse before settling in Rochester in 1902. However, his name does not appear in the Rochester City Directory until 1904.

The "Vienna Tailors," described by the Democrat and Chronicle in 1902 as a large ladies' tailoring firm located at 255 E. Main Street, Rochester, was originally founded by A. Edelberg who later retired and passed ownership to Noah Kahn.

By 1903, Benjamin Forman was connected with the tailoring establishment at 255 East Main Street, Rochester. An advertisement for "The Vienna Tailors" listed Lessen, Foreman, and Rocker as proprietors. The ad cautioned customers not to confuse this business with any previous operators using the same name and emphasized that only the current owners guaranteed satisfaction or no sale. The 1903 Rochester City Directory corroborates this partnership listing M. Lessen, B. Forman, and I. Rocker; with Max Lessen residing in Syracuse and Isadore Rocker in Ithaca.

One year later, the tailor shop adopted the name B. Forman. On April 1, 1906, he relocated "B. Forman's, Ladies' Tailor" to the second floor at 42 North Clinton Avenue, adjacent to the newly opened Sibley, Lindsay & Curr department store.

B. Forman Store

In 1911, Mr. Forman inaugurated a new ready-to-wear outlet located at 50 South Clinton Avenue. An advertisement for the store emphasized that "Mr. Forman will personally ensure each garment is properly fitted," highlighting that the same level of oversight applied in the made-to-measure section would also be maintained in the ready-to-wear department. Later that year, Forman acquired an adjacent plot at 46 South Clinton Street and revealed plans to build a three-story retail establishment, with a 38-foot frontage on Clinton and extending 197 feet back to Cortland Street. This new location, branded as "B. Forman Co.," officially opened on August 22, 1912. Prior to this development, the South Clinton block was predominantly residential.

Benjamin Forman's first wife, Dorah, passed away in December 1915. Two years afterward, he remarried to Raye Greenberg. That same year, the couple relocated from 15 Harper Street to 224 Edgerton Street. Raye Forman died on March 20, 1944. At the time of his death, Benjamin Forman was survived by his third wife, Belle Friedman Forman.

In 1923, both Saks & Co. and Gimbel Brothers from New York City sought unsuccessfully to recruit Forman for a managerial position in New York.

B. Forman Co. was among the founding members of the Retail Research Association, a trade group that included notable retailers such as Abraham & Straus of Brooklyn, L. S. Ayers of Indianapolis, L. Bamberger of Newark; Filene's of Boston; Joseph Horne Co. of Pittsburgh; Hudson Company of Detroit; Hutzler Brothers of Baltimore; Rike-Kumler Company of Dayton; Strawbridge & Clothier of Philadelphia; and Wm. Taylor Sons of Cleveland.

In 1925, Benjamin Forman launched "Camp Forman," a 22-acre recreational retreat for company employees situated in Pultneyville, New York. This property was later designated as Wayne County’s first public park in 1955.

That same year saw a significant enlargement of the store with the addition of a six-story office tower at the rear.

Further expansion occurred in 1941 when B. Forman acquired half of the adjacent northern lot previously occupied by the Lyceum Theater. This development boosted retail space by approximately 40%, and the Clinton Avenue facade was refurbished with limestone to create a cohesive appearance between the old and new sections.

A decade later, the store grew again by taking over the remaining half of the former Lyceum lot. The resulting storefront extended for about 200 feet along Clinton Avenue and featured nearly fifty distinct 'shops,' each managed by separate buyers and organized around unique themes. Notably, there were twelve individual dress shops alone. According to reports in the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper, it was recognized as the largest women's specialty store situated between New York City and Chicago. It also held the distinction of being the first store nationwide to install escalators and was Rochester’s pioneer in full air conditioning installation.

Benjamin Forman passed away on March 23, 1951, at his residence in the Sheridan Hotel at 111 East Avenue.

Edward Forman, Benjamin's eldest son born in 1899 who served in France during World War I and joined B. Forman Co. in 1924, assumed company presidency in 1946. He died unexpectedly during a business trip to New York City on January 13, 1953. Following Edward's death, his brother Maurice took over as president while their brother Frederick Forman served as Treasurer. Additionally, Leo Mans—a French immigrant—held the position of Display Director from 1917 until his death in 1955.

Retail growth

The company initiated its expansion by opening additional branches during the 1950s. A specialty children's apparel outlet was established at the intersection of Monroe Avenue and Glen Ellen Way in the suburban area of Brighton. Additionally, a 40,000-square-foot store was constructed at Culver Ridge Plaza in Irondequoit, New York. This Irondequoit location officially commenced operations on March 5, 1957.

One of the most ambitious projects undertaken by B. Forman Co. was the development of an enclosed shopping center in Downtown Rochester. Publicly announced in September 1958, this initiative was a collaboration between B. Forman and McCurdy's Department Store. The rear entrances of both department stores were situated close to each other along Cortland Street. The Midtown Plaza development enclosed Courtland Street, transforming it into a two-level indoor mall where the two anchor stores faced one another within the complex. Besides B. Forman Co. and McCurdy's, initial tenants included Wegmans, Lincoln Rochester Bank (currently Chase Bank), the United States Postal Service, Trailways, along with multiple national and local retailers. The mall officially opened its doors on April 10, 1962.

In early 1967, B. Forman Co. declared plans to open two more suburban locations in Rochester: one at Pittsford Plaza in Pittsford, New York and another at Long Ridge Plaza (presently Greece Ridge) in Greece. Subsequently, the smaller Young World store on Monroe Avenue in Brighton was shuttered in 1968, with its retail operations transferred to the new Pittsford Plaza location. The Pittsford store began serving customers on March 5, 1968, while the Greece store at Long Ridge Mall (now Greece Ridge) did not open until September 15, 1971.

Conclusion of Forman family control

The Forman family's stewardship of the business ended contentiously in 1967. Following the deaths of Benjamin and Edward Forman, ownership was split evenly between Maurice and Frederick Forman. Fred passed away unexpectedly in 1963 at age 57. His half-share was placed in trust for his widow Sally (Bresler) Forman and their son Jay W. Gilbert.

Tensions between Maurice Forman and Fred’s widow became public when she initiated legal action seeking to dissolve the company. Creditors of Fred’s estate—including Maurice—filed a petition opposing dissolution due to concerns that available funds might be insufficient to cover $850,000 in estate liabilities. The petition emphasized that B. Forman Co. had twice offered $1,425,000 to buy Fred’s stake. However, Mrs. Forman argued that her late husband’s interest was worth $2.2 million. The dispute involved mutual accusations and culminated in a Surrogate’s Court hearing in April 1967. Ultimately, the conflict was settled when McCurdy's acquired B. Forman Co.’s stock in 1968; thereafter, the company operated as a subsidiary under McCurdy’s management.

In 1969, Joseph E. Morressy became the first non-family member appointed President of B. Forman Co., while Maurice Forman assumed Chairmanship of the board. Morressy succeeded Maurice as board chair in 1974, with Pete C. Merrill—formerly a Vice President at McCurdy’s—appointed President.

During Merrill’s tenure, B. Forman Co. introduced a new retail format called "B. Forman II," a smaller store concept. The inaugural location opened at Irondequoit Shopping Plaza in May 1977; a second followed at Perinton Square Mall on October 1, 1979. The Irondequoit "B. Forman II" store appears to have closed by summer 1981, as advertisements listed it through July but not by September of that year. The "B.Forman II" branding was last seen in advertising for Perinton Square in April 1983.

The final B. Forman Co. store within the Rochester region launched at Marketplace Mall in October 1982. Subsequently, the company expanded beyond Rochester by acquiring two Syracuse stores from Flah's later that year. Two years afterward, B. Forman Co. purchased Flah's entirely, adding seven more locations across New York State: three in Albany, New York, and one each in Schenectady, New York, Poughkeepsie, New York, Middletown, Orange County, New York, and Kingston, New York.

Contraction and closing

Pete C. Merrill stepped down as President of B. Forman Co. in 1987. He was succeeded by Larry W. Hinkle, who left the position four years afterward. Gilbert K. "Ken" McCurdy, serving as Executive Vice President of McCurdy's, assumed the role of interim President. In April 1992, Bernard Zindler was appointed president. Zindler reported directly to Thomas E. Dokter, President and CEO of McCurdy & Co. He resigned from his presidential duties in January 1994.

The final new B. Forman Co. store opened its doors in 1990 at the Carousel Center located in Syracuse. That same year, the company made an unsuccessful bid to acquire the Bonwit Teller location within Buffalo's Galleria Mall.

Facing significant challenges, B. Forman Co. shuttered five stores in 1992: Long Ridge and Greece locations, Culver Ridge in Irondequoit, plus former Flah outlets in Colonie, Poughkeepsie, and Middletown. The following year brought further downsizing with the announcement of three additional closures, including the smaller B. Forman II at Perinton Mall along with stores in Kingston and at the Carousel Center.

In January 1994, McCurdy & Co. secured a $4.5 million loan from the City of Rochester to bolster working capital, using a mortgage on the McCurdy Midtown building as collateral. By July of that year, both McCurdy's and B. Forman Co. ceased operations. It was revealed that four McCurdy stores would be sold to the May Company, while all B. Forman outlets would permanently close. Shortly thereafter, liquidation sales began at both McCurdy's and B. Forman locations. The B. Forman stores had all closed by the end of August.

Plans to revive a 'hybrid' B. Forman store within Midtown Plaza were announced in September 1994, supported by Rochester developer E. Anthony Wilson and investors he assembled. Merchandise for this venture was to be supplied by Bonwit Teller. Job openings were publicized in October, with the new store debuting on November 25. Unfortunately, this iteration of B. Forman closed after fourteen months. Several months later, discount retailer Peebles occupied the Midtown location where Benjamin Forman had launched his ready-to-wear business back in 1911.

In 1995, Barnes & Noble took possession of the former Pittsford Plaza building that housed B. Forman Co. The Midtown Plaza B. Forman building was demolished beginning October 18, 2010.