History
Albrecht Incorporated was founded in 1929 as a commercial real estate business by Frederick W. Albrecht. F.W. Albrecht’s father, Fred Albrecht, immigrated to America from Germany in 1840. He operated a cobbler shop and grocery store in Massillon, Ohio from 1843 to 1875. In 1875 F.W. together with his brother George Louis took over the operations of their father’s grocery store. In 1891 F.W. Albrecht moved to Akron, a growing community north of Massillon, opening his own grocery store and expanding to multiple locations before founding Albrecht Incorporated in 1929.
1929 – 1945
Small Stores
Grocery stores were small compared with today. Stores were located within walking distance of every household and had hitching posts for horses. Albrecht Incorporated owned and managed a number of grocery stores in the greater Akron area. We still own grocery stores today but they are much larger, further apart, and no longer feature hitching posts for horses.
1929 – Today
Warehouses Old & New
Warehouses served the needs of retail businesses but many in operation were originally designed for horse draw wagons. The transition to modern trucking was underway. Today Albrecht Incorporated owns and manages modern functional warehouse space.
1929 – Today
Offices Old & New
In 1929, offices were organized around people and paper. Computers were introduced in the 1980’s and soon became indispensable. In the 1990’s, the internet ushered in more change. Despite these advances, businesses still needed a place to “go to work”. Today’s technology has, however, made it possible to run business organizations large and small without a physical office building. Albrecht Incorporated owns several very nice office buildings but what is the future of office work? Time will tell.
1978
Fred’s Folly is the Future
In 1978 Albrecht Incorporated, led by Fred Albrecht, opened a 150,000 square foot building occupied by Acme Click, a retail business similar to super stores of today. It was derided by the local press as “Fred’s Folly” because it was so large and too far away from the population center. Fred’s building, far from a “folly”, has been very successful and was an early glimpse at the future of retail. The building has been modernized and is still in use today.
1990’s
Big Stores Made Small Again
In the 1990’s one of Albrecht Incorporated’s biggest tenants decided to reduce the size of its stores. The Company was left with empty space and the challenge of finding businesses to lease it. We found standard retail tenants including barber shops, hair salons, hardware stores, and restaurants as well as non-standard tenants such as baseball training facilities, in-door skate parks, and haunted houses.
2000’s
Acquisition & Renovations
In the 2000’s Albrecht Incorporated acquired a number of properties including a 100-acre parcel of land with a 130,000 SF building in Stow, Ohio. The Company also renovated numerous retail properties to better serve the community.
2010’s
New Construction & Acquisition
In the 2010’s Albrecht Incorporated built a number of new buildings including office, flex, and grocery anchored retail. The Company also purchased numerous properties
2020’s
A New Decade
Albrecht Incorporated continues to look for ways to grow its business. We have projects in the pipeline and lots of good ideas. Check back soon to see what we are up to and thank you for reading about our Company.
