Schuster first opened for business in 1904 as an electrical contractor in Cincinnati, Ohio. Throughout the 1920's and 30's the company operated as a successful distributor of phonographs, records, radios, and appliances. In the late 1900's, Schuster became a war assets dealer under the direction of the founder's son, Bill Schuster. This transition was a result of Bill Schuster's involvement as a purchasing agent with Federal Procurement Center in Dayton, Ohio during World War II.
1950-1970: Start of Electrical Component Distribution
All through the late 50's and 60's Bill Schuster guided the company into distributing franchised lines of electrical components. The company focused on limited lines of electromechanical components, securing Amphenol and Cutler-Hammer as two of its early franchise partners.
1971-1979: Change in Management with Expansion
In 1971, Ted and John Ludeke took over management of the company from their uncle, Bill Schuster. Under their direction the company experienced dramatic growth over the next decade. This growth led to opening a fully functional sales and distribution center in Cleveland, Ohio in 1979.
1980-2001: Expansion throughout Midwest Region
Schuster went on line with an interactive data processing system in 1982, which launched another period of rapid growth for the company. Over the next ten years, Schuster expanded both its product lines and geographic coverage in the entire Midwest region. During the late 1980's Schuster instituted its successful TeleSales division of the company covering the US market from its highly automated communication facility in Cleveland, Ohio.
In early 1995, Schuster initiated the most aggressive expansion plans in the history of the company. The first step involved establishing a strong sales presence in Indiana; followed by the opening of the fully staffed sales branch in Detroit, Michigan. By 1996, their efforts culminated in the opening of three new sales offices located in St. Louis, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri; and Indianapolis, Indiana.
In late 1997, Schuster acquired CMD Electronics in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania adding an experienced sales staff and warehouse operation servicing the western Pennsylvania market. The acquisition not only brought several outstanding, new manufacturers to Schuster's product mix but also added Schuster to EBN's Top 50 Electronic Distributors list in 2000 and 2001.
Today
Today, Schuster is focused on the future with a fresh and dynamic image. In addition, we continue to develop excellent relationships with offshore manufacturers to offer global sourcing to further support our customer needs.
Schuster is ISO 9002 & AS9120 compliant.
Schuster Electronics proudly represents over 75 manufacturers of high quality electronic components.
