Hartz Group History

Wanamaker's Department Store – 1926

32-50 Cooper Square
Hartz Pet Products – 1958

Hartz Mountain was founded in 1926 by my late father Max Stern when he imported his first shipment of singing canaries from his native Germany to America. From these humble beginnings, we have evolved into a truly diversified large privately owned business. We invite you to see highlights of what we have accomplished over the decades in the timeline below. As my late father often said, “Only in America!”


		Emanuel, Leonard and Edward Stern – 1991


	Max and Leonard Stern, 1960 Breeders Conference, Tokyo, Japan


	Max Stern Founder 1898 – 1982

At age 28, Max Stern was ambitious but nearly penniless. His native Germany was suffering from the effects of hyper inflation and unemployment as well as the effects of World War I. By contrast, America presented a picture of stability, freedom and economic opportunity. Max looked toward the promise that was America and decided to emigrate.

About the same time a childhood friend of Max, a local canary dealer who previously had borrowed a modest sum from him, told Max that he could only pay back the loan with 5,000 singing canaries. Max accepted the canaries and decided to sell them in New York City where he was told he could get the best price.

He negotiated free passage for himself to New York on the Hamburg American Steamship Line in return for paying the freight charges on the canaries and he spent his time during the voyage caring for the birds. He arrived in America not knowing a single soul or word of English. He was able to immediately sell the singing canaries to the John Wanamaker Department Store at Astor Place in Manhattan. So he decided to establish a new business of importing canaries nearby at 36 Cooper Square in lower Manhattan—a location that Hartz Mountain proudly still owns.

Max returned to his native Germany again and again each time bringing back to America more singing canaries to sell. Soon he was selling them to a growing customer base including R.H. Macy, Sears Roebuck, F.W. Woolworth, W. T. Grant, S.S. Kresge and others.

By 1932, He was the largest livestock importer in America. It was time for him to expand. He started manufacturing packaged bird foods in the Cooper Square location and sold the bird food to the same customers that bought canaries from him. The line of Hartz Mountain pet products was officially born!

Hartz Bird Food Products – 1955

F.W. Woolworth was our
largest customer by 1940

By now, Hartz Mountain was a well-known and successful bird food company. Max welcomed his 21-year-old son Leonard into the business to oversee day-to-day operations. Leonard realized the success of the bird food line. He knew that Americans needed food and supplies for their other pets as well so he expanded the Hartz product line into supplies for dogs, cats, fish and other household pets. This expansion had far more growth potential than the bird products market and Hartz’ product sales boomed. Hartz pioneered a unique vision of marketing live pets, together with products for their care, through mass retail outlets rather than through local pet shops that revolutionized the American pet industry.

Hartz Pet Products – 1962

Boxes on store shelves offered everything from Hartz Yummies, Dog Pretzels, Canary Kits and even Parakeet Training Records.

Hartz Pet Products – 1962

“Perk up your parakeet with Hartz Mountain Parakeet Seed” read one ad. Consumers began to recognize the Hartz brand as experts not only in avian care but for dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, turtles and other pets. Hartz products were heavily advertised first on radio and then television.

Hartz Pet Products now included Dog and Cat Supplies –1996

Rawhide bones and dog treats were popular offerings from Hartz. The demand became so great in 1994 that Hartz acquired its own rawhide processing facilities in Brazil employing 1,000 people eliminating their dependence on outside suppliers.

Hartz Pet Medications – 1996

By the 1960s, Hartz flea collars were top sellers. Over the years, Hartz developed a wide range of flea and tick prevention products for dogs and cats, as well as shampoos and other pet care products.

Hartz Pet Products – 1996

In 1994, Wardley Products, America’s largest manufactured line of aquatic fish supplies, becomes part of the Hartz Group as Hartz continued to expand its pet product offering.

Hartz Pet Products – 1996

Large numbers of new products are introduced regularly, through Hartz’ continuing commitment to product innovation.

Continuing to seek out new opportunities, Leonard Stern looks beyond Hartz’ successful pet care business into real estate development. A unique opportunity presents itself: the building of a large speculative industrial distribution facility in Bayonne, NJ. Leonard makes the bold move and succeeds. Hartz Mountain Industries, our real estate division, is born.



	Some of our first Industrial Buildings – Bayonne, NJ – 1966

With the first successful real estate venture under his belt, Leonard and the newly formed real estate division look to dramatically grow the business. Hartz now acquires two very large tracts of barren marshes totaling over 1,250 acres in the New Jersey Meadowlands/ Secaucus an area only six miles from downtown Manhattan--another bold and risky move that became another huge success. This land, once best known for its former pig farms, would soon become the core of one of the most profitable privately owned real estate portfolios in America.

Our initial 750-acre tract of land in Secaucus, known today as Harmon Cove, is among the premier distribution locations in the country, sitting just outside New York City. With its proximity to Manhattan and the New York/New Jersey Ports, it offers a strategic location that is unmatched. Harmon Cove is also the site where outlet shopping began—and continues as a popular consumer retail shopping outlet destination to this day.



	Harmon Cove, Secaucus, NJ One of our Major Developments. Photo taken 2010.

Hartz’ neighboring 500-acre Harmon Meadow development is a thriving mixed-use project containing some of the most prestigious names in American retail and business. It serves as the premier office location in the New Jersey Meadowlands with outstanding transportation and amenities for office tenants. The nearby Secaucus Junction Train Station also connects employees and visitors to the entire New York Metro Region and beyond.



	Harmon Meadow, Secaucus, NJ Another one of our Major Developments. Photo taken 2010.

Hartz Mountain entered the home cleaning market in the mid 80's with the acquisition of the Carpet Magic Company. Carpet Magic provided carpet cleaning machines to American shoppers on a rental basis. Hartz designed and fabricated the equipment right in the company factories. Hartz grew the Carpet Magic business to approximately 20,000 rental centers at major U.S. retail locations.

On the international front, Hartz Mountain was making its mark as well. Canadian operations were strong with a pet products headquarters in St. Thomas, Ontario and regional branches in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary. Additionally, the Hartz network included international offices located in Japan, Taiwan and Korea to serve as purchasing support operations to all Hartz marketing activities worldwide.

In the United Kingdom, Hartz acquired S.M. Cork, that nation’s leader in the field of service merchandising. S.M. Cork sold a wide range of “non-food” items in supermarkets and convenience stores. Products ranged from Hartz pet care to housewares, baby items, hair care and cosmetics.

By the end of the eighties, Hartz was more than a successful business venture. It was a company that was an integral part of our daily lives.



		Carpet Magic Store Display – 1985

Leonard Stern diversifies The Hartz Group’s portfolio once again, with another bold move in alternative newspaper publishing. He launches Stern Publishing, and soon has local weekly newspapers across the country including: The Village Voice, The LA Weekly, City Pages, Long Island Voice, and among others, with a total weekly circulation exceeding 900,000 copies and almost 1,000 employees.



	Stern Publications, Andrea Stern, Publisher of our Newest Publication, the Long Island Voice – 1985

The Village Voice, Long Island Voice, The LA Weekly, OC Weekly, City Pages, Seattle Weekly and Eastside Week – 1985


		Hartz also builds its business under the rapidly growing Harmon Publishing Division. Harmon publishes free, locally distributed residential real estate advertising magazines in 175 major markets throughout the U.S., reaching well over 2 million prospective homebuyers every two weeks. The magazines are distributed free through supermarkets, banks, hotels and motels, restaurants and corporate relocation offices. With successful pet care, real estate and now publishing businesses, the Hartz name was everywhere.

		Harmon Publications – 1985

It was the beginning of an accelerated real estate expansion for Hartz. Hartz purchased and developed land in Weehawken and in Ridgefield Park. The company then acquired additional land and buildings in Jersey City, Newark, and New York, all in prime locations that Hartz continues to own and manage. By the end of the eighties, the Hartz name was as synonymous with real estate as it was with pet care. Hartz’ real estate portfolio soon grows to more than 38,000,000 square feet of buildings.



667 Madison Avenue, at 61 Street, New York City. New York's finest boutique office building – Completed by 1987			The Classic Styled Lobby at 667 Madison Avenue



Lincoln Harbor, Weehawken, NJ Our Major Developement right across from Mid-town Manhattan. Photo taken 2010.



	Overpeck Centre, Ridgefield Park, NJ Only 5 minutes from the George Washington Bridge. Photo taken 2010.

With a focus on family, it was only natural for Leonard to welcome sons Emanuel and Edward Stern into the business. Representing the next generation of leadership, they begin to work their way up the corporate ladder, with Emanuel in the real estate division and Edward the pet care businesses.



	Edward, Emanuel and Leonard Stern – 1990

To further strengthen its pet business, the Hartz Group acquires Wardley, America’s largest manufactured line of aquatic fish foods and remedies. With a broad range of more than 200 formulations addressing the special needs of the serious aquatic hobbyist, Wardley is a notable addition to the Hartz line of products. Wardley’s line of outdoor pond products are Hartz’ first foray into the growing market for outdoor aquatic and pond accessories. Later in the decade, Hartz continues its expansion into pet supplies with its acquisition of the Pet Products Rawhide Company and the L&M Pet Company, manufacturers of small animal foods.



	Wardley Fish Food Manufacturing Facility in Secaucus – 1994

Wardley Pond Products – 1994

Since the first days of the company, Hartz has maintained a continuing commitment to product innovation. In 1995, we expanded our R&D capacity by building a state-of-the-art laboratory and research facility in Bloomfield, NJ, adjacent to Hartz’ major manufacturing complex. Then, to augment our Bloomfield facilities, we added a Life Science Center at our live tropical fish distribution facility in Tampa, Florida.



Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ – Our Major Manufacturing & Research Facility – 1995



	Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield, NJ – Research Facility – 1995

Hartz diversifies its portfolio once again by developing a hospitality division by building the SoHo Grand Hotel and a few years later the Tribeca Grand Hotel in lower Manhattan as well as other suburban hotels in New Jersey.

Steeped in luxury, the SoHo Grand is SoHo’s first hotel in over 100 years. With its 367 rooms and acclaimed design, the hotel offers luxury accommodations in a vibrant quarter of New York.

Like the SoHo Grand, the Tribeca Grand marked the first opening of a luxury hotel in TriBeCa, the area known as the “Triangle Below Canal” bordered by Canal Street, Broadway and the Hudson River. The Tribeca Grand soon earned a reputation among the finest downtown hotels in the city.

With these two luxury properties, the Hartz portfolio of hotels grows to eleven hospitality facilities, its first hospitality facility being the Hartz Hilton Inn which it built in 1980.



		Soho Grand Hotel – NYC Completed 1996			View from the Soho Grand Hotel

It’s time for the next generation to officially take their places. Emanuel is named President of the real estate division and Edward is named President of the pet company. Both also join their father Leonard in the overall active day-to-day management of the entire company in addition to their divisional responsibilities.



	Emanuel Stern President/COO Hartz Mountain Industries – 1992		Edward Stern President/COO Hartz Mountain Corporation – 1992

By now, the success of Hartz pet care products and publishing business attracted the attention of numerous potential purchasers. It was a difficult decision, but the Stern family decided to sell both businesses so Edward could concentrate on managing the company’s fast-growing financial operation under the banner of Hartz Capital Inc.



	Pet Products and Stern Publications

With a focus on the environment, Hartz Mountain goes green! Under the leadership of Emanuel Stern, Hartz Mountain launches a company-wide sustainability initiative. The program resulted in a complete overhaul of the specifications used in all of the company’s construction and renovation projects. Another marquis component of the initiative is the use of renewable energy. In 2009 alone, Hartz invests millions of dollars to install solar arrays on its industrial buildings and retail centers in the Meadowlands. As a result, Hartz has one of the largest solar arrays in NJ on its Staples warehouse consisting of 339,000 SF. Hartz arrays represent 10% of all new solar capacity in 2009, and effectively reduce carbon emissions over years by approximately 50,000 metric tonnes. As a result of its efforts, the company is awarded the NJBIA’s Environmental Quality Award. Also in 2009, NJBIZ recognized President and Chief Operating Officer Emanuel Stern as the “Green Executive of the Year.”



	Secaucus Meadowlands Warehouse with Rooftop Solar Array – 2009