By Jim Cryns
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports about 12% of companies in the country are older than 26 years. The prevailing thought is only a half a percent (0.5%) of all companies had what it took to last 100 years. This means that centennial firms and beyond truly do have lots to celebrate. These eight businesses from the Milwaukee area that have gone well beyond the century mark.
Bliffert Lumber was originally founded in 1904 as the Northside Lumber and Fuel Company by Christian Meckleburg. Current owner Eli Bliffert said it started out as a coal, oil and ice company. He said the ice went away, then the coal, then the oil. Bliffert said his family got involved when Christian’s daughter Lorella started taking the company deposits to the bank, where she met J.P. Bliffert, who was a teller there. They got married, and J.P. went to work for his father-in-law. Bliffert Lumber & Hardware opened its doors on East Chamber Street in Riverwest and has served contractors and homeowners in Southern Wisconsin for over 119 years, helping communities grow. Bliffert has supplied building materials to hospitals, stadiums, new homes and every other building concern. Today Bliffert has thirteen locations.