Maas Brothers

Infobox_Company | company_name = Maas Brothers | company_| company_slogan = "The Tradition Continues" "Part of Your Style" | foundation = 1886 Tampa, Florida | location = Tampa, Florida | homepage = None |

Maas Brothers was a leading Tampa, Florida, department store founded by Abe and Isaac Maas in 1886. It grew from a small 23' by 90' store to a chain of 39 stores across the state of Florida.

History

The Early Years

Abe and Isaac Maas started their retail career in Cochran, Georgia, working with their brothers, Jacob and Sol. By 1880, Abe was operating a store in Dublin, Georgia, and Isaac was operating a millinery store in Ocala by 1885. In 1886, Abe decided to move to a better location and chose Tampa, at the time a small village on Florida's west coast. Abe had been quoted as saying, "It's a waterfront town. Who knows? It may amount to something someday." Abe Maas opened the Dry Goods Palace on December 10, 1886. His brother, Isaac, formally joined his brother on September 15, 1887, and the store became Maas Brothers. After outgrowing its first two locations, Maas Brothers opened its third, and largest, store in 1921. By 1929, Maas Brothers dominated Florida's West Coast. It was known as "Greater Tampa's Greatest Store."

Allied Stores

In 1929, Abe and Isaac Maas sold Maas Brothers to Hahn Department Stores. Maas Brothers gained the buying power of the 28 department stores while Hahn gained the addition of another successful chain with a loyal customer base. In 1935, Hahn Department Stores changed its name to Allied Stores Corporation. Despite being owned by a national company, Maas Brothers was still operated by the Maas family. In 1935, Isaac Maas, who was serving as chairman of the board died at the age of 71. Abe Maas, who was president, became chairman. Jerome A. Waterman, Abe and Isaac's nephew, became president. Jerome joined Maas Brothers in 1907. Abe Maas died in 1941 at the age of 86.

Maas Brothers Expansion

In 1948, Maas Brothers opened its first full line branch store in downtown St. Petersburg. Other branch stores opened in downtown Lakeland in 1954, downtown Sarasota in 1956 and downtown Clearwater in 1961. Maas Brothers opened its first mall store, in 1965, in the Edison Mall. In 1978 Michael Maas was born. By 1981, Maas Brothers opened its 17th store in Gulfview Square Mall in Port Richey. This was the last Maas Brothers store built. In 1985, Maas Brothers absorbed the Savannah, Georgia based stores of fellow Allied nameplate Levy's of Savannah (founded in 1871 as B. H. Levy & Bro.).

Campeau Takeover

In 1986, Maas Brothers celebrated is 100th anniversary. It was in the same year that Canadian real estate developer Robert Campeau completed his takeover of Allied Stores Corporation. As part of liquidation and cost cutting, Maas Brothers was consolidated with the weaker Jordan Marsh Florida franchise on Florida's East Coast in 1987 (Allied's Jordan Marsh had expanded from New England in 1956, later forming a separate Allied division). The plan was that the stronger Maas Brothers would help the weaker Jordan Marsh. This brought the total number of combined stores to 39 throughout Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. In 1989 the official store name was changed to Maas Brothers/Jordan Marsh.

In 1988, Campeau launched a successful takeover battle with Macy's for Federated Department Stores. Ironically, Federated would acquire Macy's in 1994. With the acquisition of Federated, Maas Brothers' formal rival, Miami-based Burdines, became its sister store. As with the Allied acquisition, in order to cut costs, several back office operations for Maas Brothers, Jordan Marsh, and Burdines were consolidated.

Bankruptcy and Merger

By 1989, Federated and Allied were struggling to make its debt payments incurred from the takovers. On January 16, 1990, Federated and Allied filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Several underperforming stores were closed, including the flagship downtown Tampa store in February 1991. As part of its plan of reoragnization, the Florida operations would be consolidated and several stores would be closed. The Maas Brothers/Jordan Marsh headquarters was closed and consolidated with Burdines in July 1991. On October 20, 1991, the Maas Brothers stores officially became Burdines. The majority of the former Jordan Marsh stores were sold off since they competed with Burdines. Burdines, along with the other Federated division except Bloomingdales, would be converted to Macy's. In 2006 the downtown Tampa store, after 15 years sitting empty and neglected, the building was demolished.

Former Maas Brothers/Jordan Marsh Florida stores

=Georgia=

*Savannah:*Broughton Street - opened 1925 as Levy's of Savannah, renamed Maas Brothers February 1986, store closed December 1987, purchased by the Savannah College of Arts & Design (SCAD) 1996, opened as SCAD's Jen Library 1999:*Oglethorpe Mall - opened 1982 as Levy's of Savannah, in February 1986 converted to Maas Brothers store, was renamed Jordan Marsh 1988, closed 1991, torn down for Rich's 1993, Rich's-Macy's 2003, Macy's 2005

Florida

*Bradenton - DeSoto Square - opened 1973, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005
*Clearwater:*Countryside Mall (now Westfield Countryside) - opened 1975, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005:*Downtown - opened 1961, closed 1991, became Harborview Convention Center 1996
*Fort Myers - Edison Mall - opened 1965, became Burdines Fashion Store 1991, Burdines-Macy's Fashion Store 2004, Macy's Fashion Store 2005
*Gainesville - Gainesville Mall - became a University of Florida book depository 1997, mall demolished for Kmart, which in turn was demolished for Lowe's
*Lakeland - downtown - opened 1954, replaced 1971, closed 1994, became Watkins Motor Lines headquarters 1995, Now FedEx Freight
*Naples - Coastland Center - opened 1977, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005
*Ocala - Paddock Mall - opened 1980, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005
*Port Richey - Gulf View Square - opened 1981, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005
*Sarasota:*Downtown - opened 1956, closed 1991, opened as an indoor flea market 1993, demolished 1996, theatre o site:*Sarasota Square (now Westfield Sarasota Square) - opened 1976, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005
*St. Petersburg:*downtown - opened 1948, closed 1991, became Florida International Museum 1995, demolished 2005 for new Progress Energy Florida headquarters:*Tyrone Square - opened 1972, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2003, Macy's 2005
*Tallahassee - Governor's Square - opened 1976, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005
*Tampa:*Downtown flagship - opened 1886, closed 1991, demolished 2006, to be redeveloped for condominiums:*West Shore Plaza - opened 1967, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005:*University Mall - opened 1974, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005:*Gandy Home Store - opened 1956, became Burdines Furniture 1991, Burdines-Macy's Furniture 2004, Macy's Furniture 2005
*Winter Haven - Winter Haven Mall (now Winter Haven Citi Centre) - opened 1977, became Burdines 1991, Burdines-Macy's 2004, Macy's 2005

South Carolina

*Hilton Head Island - The Mall at Shelter Cove - Store planned but never opened as Maas Brothers. Opened 1988 as Jordan Marsh, sold to JCPenney 1991, Saks Fifth Avenue 1997, became Off Fifth 2005