Boston Retail was founded in 1937 by Irving Rubin. Back then, the company was known as Boston Metal Products, and consisted primarily of a metal fabricating shop geared to the needs of retail food stores and the emerging supermarket industry. By 1970, the supermarket was fully established as the predominant method of food retailing, and its equipment needs were different from those of its smaller “corner store” predecessors. These changing needs, and a father-to-son succession in the leadership of the Company, brought about a rapid change in the Company’s direction as product lines were standardized and modernized. Dick Rubin, CEO for Boston Retail, has championed the development of new products and broadened the Company’s focus to include new markets and diverse applications. The 60s and 70s saw the introduction of Cost Cutter Carts for the food distribution industry, the protective Boston Bumper® system for supermarket interiors, and Cost Cutter Warehouse Shelving for the new warehouse-type stores. Facility and organizational expansions in the 80s and 90s enabled the introduction of innovative merchandising product display systems, such as those for floral and window/door retailers. This period also saw the debut of the revolutionary FastLane™ modular wiring systems, designed to streamline delivery of power, voice, and data to various locations within a store environment. Subjected to rigorous quality assurance and field testing procedures, each of these innovative product designs has enjoyed tremendous success.
Today, some 60+ years after Irving Rubin first set up shop in Massachusetts, his commitment to quality and innovation endures with Boston's lastest innovation. Some of which include revolutionary advances in modular wiring and green impact protection products.
1937
Boston Metal Products founded by Irving Rubin
1940s
Bakery cabinets and food transport systems developed
1950s
Greeting card and hosiery racks developed for supermarkets
1960s
Cost Cutter Cart and canteen trucks developed
Acquisition of 30,000 sq. ft. plant in Cambridge, MA
1970s
Boston Bumper™ protection system introduced
1984
Acquisition of 24,000 sq. ft. Medford facility
1985
Expansion of Medford facility to 117,000 sq. ft.
1987
Boston Beam™ decorative truss systems introduced
1988
Marketing and product management organization established to improve design and add value
1989
Floral displays introduced
Boston light/fan clouds introduced
1990
European headquarters established in Rotterdam, NL
1992
Boston shelf trim system introduced
Universal Bumper System (UBS) introduced
1992
Acquisition of Boston Extruded Product, 56,000 sq. ft. facility in Youngstown, OH
U.K. sales office established
1993
Color curve computerized color matching system introduced for all products
1995
Established sales office in France
1996
Introduction of FastLane™ modular wiring systems
1997
Established sales office in Germany
2000
Boston Links™ entrance matting debuts in England
2002
Launch the Boston Protector and Boston Boss
2003
3-D modeling implemented into prototyping process
Feb 2004
Introduction of new company logo and product category icons
2004
Launched the first eco-friendly impact protection system in the industry - EcoSeries™
December 2006 Boston expands the ecoSeries(R) family of bumpers to include the ecoRigid line of pvc-free bumper.
September 2007 the ecoRigid pvc-free polybostylene material is now manufacturable for any custom extrusion application.
June 2008 Boston Retail, is presented their Green Heroes 2008 Wall Shield in recognition of their environmental project – ecoSeries® Impact Protection by the Green Organisation, UK
April 2009 Powered Lighting displays are revamped with the introduction of the VersaPanel showroom displays systems that allows you to merchandise more in less space at a quicker installation rate.
May 2009
Boston Retail earns 4-Star status from The Green Organisation.
June 2009
Boston Retail Launches the FastLane Alliance Program to help partner retailers with experienced installers of FastLane Modular Wiring system.
