Schuckl Cannery
| Business |
Cannery |
|---|---|
| Main Location |
Sunnyvale |
| Active |
1919-1962 |
| Brands |
Black Knight[1] |
| Aliases |
Schuckl and Company |
| Predecessors |
Sunnyvale Canneries |
| Successors |
California Canners and Growers |
Schuckl and Company was a San Francisco export broker, dried fruit producer, and canner initially operated by Max Schuckl, an Austrian immigrant[2][3]. The company had a sales office in New York[4].
The company started in Niles, California, both canning and packing dried fruit. Max Schuckl, in 1914, commented in an article about the outbreak of war in Europe "we [California] don't sell more than 20 cars a year [of peaches] to England, and perhaps 30 cars to Germany. Apricots, being more of a luxury, may drop in demand and price. But prunes are a real foodstuff and will be needed."[5].
The company was noted as packing cherries in May 1922[6] The company expanded to Sunnyvale when they purchased Sunnyvale Canneries in 1925[7]. Fred Drew was the manager of both the Sunnyvale and Niles canneries in 1928[8].
Schuckl and Company also canned salmon in Seattle[9].
Schuckl died in 1937; Emil Rutz, took over as President; Paul Case, former sales manager, took over as vice president. Rutz had joined the company in 1923 as office manager, but became treasurer in 1930 and vice president in 1931. Case had been a west coast buyer for the Kroger Grocery Company.
Even in the 1930's, the company was still primarily focused on exports. In 1937, exports were responsible for about 95% of sales; as World War II approached, the company began to focus on domestic sales. However, when Great Britain banned import of canned fruit and vegetables, Schuckl lost 65% of its business[10].
In 1942, the company had 4,903 shares of stock outstanding. 1,900 shares were held by Schmidt & Co, 857.5 by L.S. Ackerman, 577.5 by Florence A. Sears, Therese E. Schuckl, 639 shares, Emil Rutz, 277 shares, and Paul Case, 126 shares.
After World War II, Schuckl bought the former United States Products cannery on Moorpark at Race, then being used by American Home Foods to produce Clapp's Baby Food. Schuckl was sold to California Canners and Growers in 1963.
Schuckl's Sunnyvale cannery continued to operate well into the late 20th century. A 1956 lawsuit against the company accused them of responsibility in a grade crossing accident at Fair Oaks Ave. because the cannery stacked too many boxes near the road. The lawsuit also describes the track arrangement and plant arrangement[11].
Statistics
| Fiscal Year Ended | Cases Packed | Sales | Before Taxes | Net Profit After Taxes | Shares Outstanding | Dividend Per Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/29/24 | 65,000 | $469,656.70 | $ (7,558.85) | $ (7,558.85) | 1,000 | .... |
| 2/28/25 | 137,448 | 798,820.26 | 8,235.30 | 8,235.30 | 1,000 | .... |
| 2/27/26 | 332,376 | 1,458,701.50 | 37,959.01 | 32,992.71 | 1,430 | .... |
| 2/28/27 | 407,538 | 1,528,553.56 | 98,567.64 | 87,947.51 | 1,970 | .... |
| 2/29/28 | 325,204 | 1,296,335.89 | 11,357.52 | 9,389.98 | 2,075 | $6.00 |
| 2/28/29 | 533,851 | 2,293,402.33 | 124,543.96 | 112,141.49 | 2,218 | 7.00 |
| 2/28/30 | 565,146 | 2,496,822.97 | 15,141.18 | 14,231.34 | 2,735 | 8.00 |
| 2/28/31 | 611,567 | 2,092,262.22 | 75,125.52 | 64,055.97 | 3,000 | 8.00 |
| 2/29/32 | 939,613 | 2,076,033.91 | (69,466.63) | (69,466.63) | 3,000 | 4.00 |
| 2/28/33 | 1,075,503 | 2,010,900.88 | (125,121.57) | (125,121.57) | 3,000 | .... |
| 2/28/34 | 1,158,990 | 2,675,255.26 | 109,018.83 | 86,518.83 | 3,000 | .... |
| 2/28/35 | 902,711 | 2,485,667.07 | (159,989.81) | (159,989.81) | 4,903 | .... |
| 2/29/36 | 935,609 | 3,169,458.59 | (66,060.22) | (66,060.22) | 4,903 | .... |
| 2/28/37 | 1,062,401 | 2,835,533.06 | 192,686.08 | 150,686.08 | 4,903 | .... |
| 2/28/38 | 1,503,255 | 3,910,194.73 | 138,400.18 | 114,400.18 | 4,903 | 3.00 |
| 2/28/39 | 1,544,122 | 4,439,190.56 | 65,908.63 | 63,308.63 | 4,903 | 0.75 |
| 2/29/40 | 1,787,866 | 5,242,963.48 | 110,138.12 | 84,738.12 | 4,903 | 4.50 |
| 2/28/41 | 1,663,463 | 3,311,160.52 | (156,651.97) | (156,651.97) | 4,903 | 2.75 |
| 2/28/42 | 2,059,837 | 6,189,670.67 | 459,250.27 | 332,179.14 | 4,903 | 6.00 |
| 2/28/43 | 2,119,562 | 8,895,355.03 | 743,332.72 | 200,791.14 | 4,898 | 8.75 |
| 2/29/44 | 2,510,362 | 9,104,578.53 | 538,043.08 | 166,072.68 | 4,898 | 10.00 |
Locations
| Location | Years | Address | Details | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niles | 1919 | ||||||
| San Francisco | 1917 | 16 California St.[12] | San Jose | 1945 | 570 Race Street |
Leased former U.S. Products cannery. | |
| Sunnyvale | 1925-1962 | 182 South Fairoaks Avenue |
Offices and main cannery. Designed by William Wurster. |
Photos
Shuckl Cannery Office (William Wurster, architect) Sunnyvale Library
References
- ↑ Black Knight: used for canned fruits and canned vegetables. US Trademark #147,468, U.S. Patent Office, August 16, 1921. Trademark had been used since January 23, 1920.
- ↑ Personal Mention and Notes: June 1921 Western Canner and Packer. "Mac Schuckl, head of Schuckl & Company, San Francisco and New York, returned to San Francisco from Europe, via New York, during the first week of May.
- ↑ Max G. Schuckl, Alameda CA. 1920 U.S. Federal Census. Schuckl lived at 828 Laurel St. in San Francisco, and listed his job as "broker, canned products". He immigrated in 1907.
- ↑ New Members (of Merchant Association): Greater New York. Schuckl and Company, Mr. W. A. Wiley, Manager, 100 Hudson St. California Products.
- ↑ War and the Dried Fruit Market: August 15, 1914 Pacific Rural Press.
- ↑ California Canneries: May 1922 Western Canner and Packer.
- ↑ Heritage Resource Designations for Southwood and Fairorchard Neighborhoods (2008-0296), City of Sunnyvale, May 12, 2009.
- ↑ Niles Notes: July 20, 1928 Hayward Review.
- ↑ Among the Fish Canners: October 25, 1919 The Canner magazine. "Manager E. B. McGovern of E. B. McGovern and Co., brokers and distributors of canned salmon at Seattle, Wash. announce he has merged his interests with Schuckl and Company of Seattle and San Francisco, but that he will be in full charge of the Seattle office."
- ↑ [https://www.leagle.com/decision/194910558jwtcm10471773 Scuckl & Co., Inc. vs Commissioner. U.S. Tax Court, 8 T.C. M. 1047 (1949). The case argued over whether bonuses paid to staff in 1942, 1943, and 1944 were proper deductions from gross income.
- ↑ Pennington vs. Southern Pacific Co., California Court of Appeals first district, division 2, case #16675 , December 5, 1956. The appeal includes details of track arrangements, signaling, and operations on the San Francisco commute trains.
- ↑ Schuckl & Co., dried fruits. Annual Directory of the City and County of San Francisco. 1917.