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Saturday, Jun. 06, 2009

Key dates and facts about J.S. West & Co.

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Key Dates ...

... in the history of J.S. West & Cos.:

  • 1909: James Stewart West opens the Modesto business, selling grain and coal.
  • 1922: Ice-making plant is built.
  • 1928: Fuel oil sales begin.
  • 1930: New feed mill is built. Auto and tire sales and service begins.
  • 1936: Propane sales begin, along with appliances using the gas.
  • 1948: Egg production starts. Propane expands to Sonora.
  • 1949: Appliance store adds furniture.
  • 1958: New feed mill replaces plant that burned in 1957.
  • 1976: Ethan Allen home furnishings store opens on Sisk Road.
  • 1984: New feed store opens.
  • 1997: J.S. West buys the Hales & Symons feed, hardware, lumber and propane company in Sonora.
  • 2000: J.S. West teams with other companies to build the NuWest Milling grain terminal near Hughson.

About the Company

  • Name: J.S. West & Cos.
  • Founded: 1909
  • Products: Propane, eggs, feed, furniture, hardware and lumber
  • Employees: 275

LOCATIONS

  • Headquarters: 501 Ninth St., Modesto
  • Feed mill and store: Ninth and G streets, Modesto
  • Furniture Annex: 721 Eighth St., Modesto
  • Ace Hardware & Lumber: 730 S. Washington St., Sonora
  • Propane plants: Modesto, Sonora, Angels Camp, Placerville, Colfax, Fresno and Oakhurst
  • Egg farms: Three sites in Stanislaus and Merced counties

LEADERSHIP

  • President: Eric Benson
  • Chairman: Gary West
  • Chairman emeritus: Bob Benson
  • Vice president: Jim West
  • Vice president: Jill Benson
  • Vice president: Mike West

(All are third- and fourth- generation descendants of founder James Stewart West.)

FAST FACTS

  • About 1.2 million eggs come out of J.S. West henhouses each day. They are sold under numerous labels in California, Nevada and Hawaii.
  • About 340,000 tons of chicken feed are processed each year at NuWest Milling near Hughson, owned by J.S. West and partners. It is the largest grain terminal west of the Mississippi River.
  • J.S. West sells about 23 million gallons of propane a year, making it the largest distributor in Central California.

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