ORIGINAL: RUBBERBNDMAN
Goodbye Levitz
The furniture retailer, which is going out of business. Levitz first
announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its
stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard
Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon , PA. In the 1960s,
the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the
furniture industry. The local Levitz closures will follow the shutdown
of Bombay .
Some back gound on the Levitz company:
They Lost Gary Levitz back in 1999 during the annual Reno Air Races, see below. It may have been the start of their downward journey:
"Long-time air racing veteran Gary Levitz, a furniture executive from Grand Prairie, Texas, was lost when his custom built P-51R racer "Miss Ashley II" crashed at the Reno National Championship Air Races. Levitz was running in fifth place at the time. Initial reports indicate a massive catastrophic failure of the airframe as Levitz rounded the number 1 pylon on the first lap of the Gold Unlimited Heat Race. Several pieces of the wreckage landed nearby in Lemon Valley. At least two houses and a travel trailer were struck by the debris, however reports confirm that there were no injuries on the ground. RARA and FAA officials are continuing to investigate the incident.
"Miss Ashley II", race 38, was one of the most highly modified racers ever to appear at Reno. Constructed over a several year period by Levitz and partner Bill Rogers, "Miss Ashley II" sported a modified Lear Jet wing, Rolls Royce Griffon engine and counter-rotating propellers. The racer had suffered numerous teething problems since it's debut in 1997, but seemed to improve performance and speed during every race"