National Tea Co. - Stock Certificate - General Stocks For Sale

Stock printed by American Bank Note Company. Please specify color. The National Tea Company (NATCO, informally known as National) was a Midwestern United States grocery chain that operated during the 20th century. Founded in 1899 by Danish immigrant George S. Rasmussen along with his brother Thorvald in Chicago, Illinois, the retailer spread to about 160 stores by 1920, and annual sales approached $13 million. By the end of the \'20s, National Tea had over 600 locations in the Chicago area alone and another 1,000 stores nationwide. Sales grew to about $90 million a year. Many of these stores were closed or sold during the Great Depression, but National Tea remained among the 10 largest grocery chains in the United States for most of the 20th century. In 1955, when annual sales topped $600 million and the company had nearly 20,000 employees nationwide, National Tea was purchased by George Weston Ltd., a large Canadian grocery retailer, later renamed Loblaw Companies. Most National stores were in the Mississippi Valley, including in Louisiana. During the 1950s, it acquired about 500 new stores by buying up smaller chains. Eventually, National, renamed National Supermarkets, was pared down to operations in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Louisiana. It was a major chain in the St. Louis, Indianapolis and New Orleans areas. Later Loblaw sold off some of its stores (63) to The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, in 1976. Schnucks Markets acquired National Tea in 1995 from Loblaw Companies. Immediately following this purchase, Schnucks received approval from the Item ordered may not be exact piece shown. All original and authentic.