Hagerty Brothers was founded in Peoria, Illinois by Samuel "Saul" Hagerty in 1860 We are proud of our rich history and thank all of our many loyal employees, customers, and vendors who have supported us in our 151 years of service.

We were featured in the Century Club issue of Progressive Distributor Magazine in April of 2002. We even made the cover! (see lower left) Here is that article:

The story of Hagerty Brothers Company is a story of a company that has adapted to changing technology and business conditions. When Saul, a young millright, moved to Peoria, he quickly  built a reputation as a builder of mills and distilleries. By the late 1890's, he had  built or rebuilt 19 distilleries in this central Illinois city alone.

He stayed active in the business until his death at age 81, when his sons  Almon, Robert and H. Guy took over (the original Hagerty Brothers).

The company expanded into the industrial supply business in 1905, selling  shafting, belting, pulleys, steam water and garden hose, and engine packing,  and was the sole agant for the Columbus gasoline engine.

Prohibition forced Peoria breweries and distilleries to close in 1922, a major blow  to the company, since all construction, repair and maintenance of those plants  ceased. To survive, Hagerty Brothers started producing a product it called Shaco  Chips (named for Saul Hagerty & Co.).

"The company owned fine woodworking equipment including a large planer,"  said Susan Flora Fellerhoff, great, great granddaughter of Saul Hagerty and wife  of Randy Fellerhoff, current company president. "Someone thought of using the  planer to make potato chip-sized oak, then toasting them until they were  charred, similar to the inside of an oak keg used for aging bourbon."

Just one box of Shaco placed into an old barrell had the aging power to turn  homemade corn liquor into bourbon.. The product proved extremely popular and  sold throughout the United States, Canada and South America. Sales of Shaco  helped the company survive prohibition and the early days of the Great  Depression.

When prohibition ended, the company again turned its focus to wholesale steel  and industrial products. In the 30's, tough times forced Hagerty Brothers to lay  off workers and cut wages. The war years saw an increase in business, as the  company geared up to provide steel for the war effort. During the 50's, while  the country watched the birth of the interstate highway system, Hagerty  Brothers bought its first fleet of trucks. At the height of the Cold War, the  company built a prototype fallout shelter.

Throughout its history, the company continued to adapt to changing times.  Today it operates multiple distribution and manufacturing operations in  Muscatine and Davenport, Iowa, Decatur, Ill., and three Peoria facilities.

The company's web site boasts that "Hagerty Brothers has weathered the  effects of globalization on markets and remained a strong company. The spirit of  adaptation to the needs of the times is what has allowed Hagerty Brothers to  endure and prosper."