Checker Distributors

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Checker Distributors is a quilting and sewing product distribution company headquartered in northern Ohio. Checker Distributors was founded in 1948 by Bob Krieger and Jerry VanWalbeck to promptly supply zippers, threads, yarns and ribbon to J.C. Penney, Woolworth and Kresge stores in Ohio. The venture began with $150 each and was located in Jerry's basement on Bellevue Road in Toledo. Bob would sell the products during the day and Jerry would process the orders and keep the books. Both partners still maintained other full-time jobs. Checker was a very small private enterprise. Various sundry items such as hair goods and baby items were added to the small inventory of items as more variety and drug stores became customers. The business grew slowly because of the need of both partners to continue their full-time jobs. In January of 1995, Checker Distributors relocated to a new warehouse in Maumee, Ohio, which had a total capacity of 63,000 square feet.