MM Cohn
Encyclopedia
The M.M. Cohn Company, more popularly known simply as MM Cohn was a regional specialty department store
chain in Arkansas
, based in Little Rock
. Independently operated from its opening until 1989, the chain was purchased by The Dunlap Company
of Fort Worth, Texas
, which operated the stores until their closure. Amid a forced liquidation of Dunlaps and its associated stores through the end of 2007, MM Cohn's remaining stores closed on September 16, 2007.
. The first Cohn store in Little Rock was at 102 Main Street near the Capitol Hotel. In 1898, Cohn moved to a store on Main Street between Third and Fourth streets. It was one of Main Street's largest, and the number of employees grew from five to 24. The downtown store was moved again in 1940 to the 75,000-SF building between Capitol and Sixth on Main that still carries the company name on its front. Also in 1898, Cohn's son, Albert Daniel Cohn, joined the company. He had been an engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers, but in 1912 he took over as president. (M.M. Cohn had another son, Victor, who died at age 19). M.M. Cohn also had two daughters, but they never became involved in the company business.
Cohn's grandson, Dan Phillips, started in the business when he was very young and held nearly every position. Phillips became the one most responsible for building MM Cohn into a respected regional chain, particularly in its competition with in-town rival Dillard's
. Although he worked as a youngster, he joined the store full-time in 1951. He became president in 1969 and chairman in 1981.
At its height, The M.M. Cohn Co. operated 12 stores. By the time it was sold, there were 11, because the company had closed the downtown Little Rock store. Since 1989, the chain has operated as a division of The Dunlap Company
, a privately-held company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas
.
According to an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
report published on June 14, 2007, the MM Cohn stores were to be among more than 40 Dunlap-owned stores in eight states to close by the end of 2007. The liquidation followed news of Dunlaps defaulting on secured loan obligations to Wells Fargo
Retail Finance and inability to obtain new financing. The total debt owed to Dunlaps' creditors, as indicated by a creditor's letter obtained by the newspaper for its report, totaled about $
14 million.
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
chain in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, based in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. Independently operated from its opening until 1989, the chain was purchased by The Dunlap Company
Dunlaps
Dunlaps, based in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, was a family-owned chain of department stores in the central and southern United States catering to most classes depending on the location. The chain operated under the trade names of Dunlaps, Stripling & Cox, MM Cohn, Rogers, Clark's, Schreiner's, Kerr's,...
of Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, which operated the stores until their closure. Amid a forced liquidation of Dunlaps and its associated stores through the end of 2007, MM Cohn's remaining stores closed on September 16, 2007.
History
The namesake of its founder, Mark Matthias Cohn, the chain was founded in 1874 in Arkadelphia, ArkansasArkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
. The first Cohn store in Little Rock was at 102 Main Street near the Capitol Hotel. In 1898, Cohn moved to a store on Main Street between Third and Fourth streets. It was one of Main Street's largest, and the number of employees grew from five to 24. The downtown store was moved again in 1940 to the 75,000-SF building between Capitol and Sixth on Main that still carries the company name on its front. Also in 1898, Cohn's son, Albert Daniel Cohn, joined the company. He had been an engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers, but in 1912 he took over as president. (M.M. Cohn had another son, Victor, who died at age 19). M.M. Cohn also had two daughters, but they never became involved in the company business.
Cohn's grandson, Dan Phillips, started in the business when he was very young and held nearly every position. Phillips became the one most responsible for building MM Cohn into a respected regional chain, particularly in its competition with in-town rival Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
. Although he worked as a youngster, he joined the store full-time in 1951. He became president in 1969 and chairman in 1981.
At its height, The M.M. Cohn Co. operated 12 stores. By the time it was sold, there were 11, because the company had closed the downtown Little Rock store. Since 1989, the chain has operated as a division of The Dunlap Company
Dunlaps
Dunlaps, based in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, was a family-owned chain of department stores in the central and southern United States catering to most classes depending on the location. The chain operated under the trade names of Dunlaps, Stripling & Cox, MM Cohn, Rogers, Clark's, Schreiner's, Kerr's,...
, a privately-held company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.
According to an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell...
report published on June 14, 2007, the MM Cohn stores were to be among more than 40 Dunlap-owned stores in eight states to close by the end of 2007. The liquidation followed news of Dunlaps defaulting on secured loan obligations to Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
Retail Finance and inability to obtain new financing. The total debt owed to Dunlaps' creditors, as indicated by a creditor's letter obtained by the newspaper for its report, totaled about $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
14 million.
External links
- Official website of The Dunlap Company, parent company of MM Cohn