BING CO. - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The BING CO. was one of Ohio's largest furniture stores. Louis S. Bing and Elias Nathan opened a retail furniture store 24 Mar. 1891, on Seneca (W. 3rd) St. in Cleveland's retail trading center with 10 employees. The partnership lasted only a few years, and by 1895 Bing had bought out Nathan's interest, continuing business under his own name until the early 1900s when his younger brother, Sol, became a junior partner. They operated as Louis S. Bing and Bros. until 1913 when the firm incorporated as The Bing Company. In 1907, increased business forced the first move, to 522 Prospect Avenue in what would later become the center of Cleveland's furniture store district. By 1922, both Louis and Sol had passed away and Louis's son-in-law, Jay M. Halle, and son, Louis S. Bing, Jr., assumed ownership and management of the company, becoming the youngest furniture executives in the country. In 1929, The Bing Co. opened a new 10-story store at 514 Prospect Ave., offering a full assortment of household goods and home service departments and fulfilling the company's slogan of selling "Everything for the Home."

By 1935, The Bing Co. had furnished 100,000 homes in the area and within a decade had undertaken its branch store expansion program. In order to serve customers throughout northern Ohio, they opened their first branch stores in Shelby in April 1945 and in Mansfield and Tiffin in 1946. By 1960 Bing's had a total of 14 furniture stores, including 5 in the Greater Cleveland area. The next year the company was sold to interests controlled by the Schottenstein Bros. of Columbus. All of the Bing stores in Cleveland were closed Sept. 1961 and their stock liquidated, except for the store at 22300 Lake Shore Blvd. in EUCLID, which was bought by Louis Bing's grandson, George (son of Louis S. Bing, Jr.), who continued to operate it as The George. L. Bing Furniture Co. until 1976.

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