People and Organizations That Steel Our Heart

Isaly's - Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a city rich in cultural heritage. This is reflected not only in the people, but in the businesses that began here, many of them having been established since the 1800s. Isaly’s beginning is not unlike that of other area businesses. Isaly’s tradition began in 1833 with Swiss immigrant cheese maker Christian Isaly, when he arrived in Ohio with other Swiss immigrants. The family trade had been cheese making, but Christian began bottling milk, thus creating the Isaly dairy tradition. His beginning in America was simple, but he did not begin the Isaly tradition; his son, William began the company in Mansfield, Ohio in 1902.

William Isaly’s early successes were possible largely because of a somewhat loose corporate structure, which allowed for easy expansion without the hassle of corporate overhead. Isaly’s first major business acquisition occurred in 1914, when he bought the Mansfield Pure Milk Company. At first, William followed his father’s example: processing and bottling milk for distribution to grocery stores. Not long after he bought Mansfield Pure Milk Company, he began operating his own retail stores, which offered dairy products, ice cream, bread, and lunch counter service. Isaly was one of the pioneers of the modern convenience store when he became one of the first retail grocer owners to offer his customers gas pumps. Under the direction of Charles Isaly, the company rapidly grew to include stores in other parts of Ohio, and in 1931, opened the Pittsburgh branch. Over the next decade, Isaly’s opened stores throughout Ohio, West Virginia, and as far west as Iowa. Even though the company did not originate in Pittsburgh, city residents held such high regards for Isaly’s that many considered the company a Pittsburgh original.

At its peak in 1950, Isaly’s owned and operated 400 dairy and retail stores, and was considered the largest dairy chain in the world. During the 30s, 40s, and 50s many of the stores in Ohio, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania were designed by Pittsburgh native Vincent Schoeneman. Schoeneman’s architecture was unique, and represented a modern art deco style, which was epitomized in the Youngstown dairy plant with the construction of a five-story glass block tower. Not only known for their original buildings, Isaly’s also had a catchy advertising theme that set them apart from their competitors.

They used a mnemonic device to help their customers remember who they were, and exactly how to spell their Swiss-named company. "I Shall Always Love You Sweetheart" became a moniker for the company whose ice cream was second to none. Isaly’s created the Skyscraper Cone, which was famous because it didn’t use traditional techniques. Rather than using individual round scoops, the Skyscraper Cones’ patented design looked more like a long, inverse cone shaped skyscraper. Isaly’s also became famous for creating the Klondike Bar, a special treat they always made by hand. They were also known for the now famous “chipped chopped ham,” which was at one time featured on a PBS special “Sandwiches That You Will Like.”

Not only has Isaly’s been known for offering quality products, but also as a great working environment, reminiscent of “the good old days.” Former employees recollect their years of service fondly, often recalling how much they enjoyed their coworkers and supervisors (even if they had to chip several pounds of chipped chopped ham!). Years before KEYGroup developed the VEO, Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization, the Isaly family was practicing honest, open business practices that fostered a creative, fun, and productive work environment.

Large scale expansion didn’t last as long as fond memories, though. The advent of in-home freezers and changing consumer demands in the 1960s brought dwindling sales for Isaly’s, and over time were forced to close many of their stores. Of the 400 stores, only about 12 remain open, mostly as convenience stores. Here in Pittsburgh’s West View area on Perrysville Avenue, there is an original Isaly’s deli-style diner, preserved in the era of its heyday. Customers can eat well for under $10, sitting amongst Isaly’s memorabilia of days past. In fact, Isaly’s estimates that over 20 million sandwiches are made annually in the region with their Original Chipped Chopped Ham. Despite the fact that Isaly’s has seen better times, they have created a niche for themselves that stands the test of time, and in the Pittsburgh area, customers can still enjoy the classic taste of Isaly’s. After all, "I Shall Always Love You Sweetheart."

Aurand, Martin. “Isaly Dairy Compay Collection.” 20 August 1998. 20 February 2007.
            http://www.library.cmu.edu/Libraries/ArchArch/isaly.html.

Bamberg, Angelicque & Roth, Jason. “Isaly’s West View.” Pittsburgh City Paper.
            2 November 2006.

Fuller, Jake. “Author’s book details local success of Isaly’s.” North Journal. 20 April
2006. 19 February 2007.  North Journal Link.

www.isalys.com. 17 February 2007.

Kelly Hanna. “Isaly’s PR.” E-mail. 15 March 2007.

www.wikipedia.org. “Isaly’s.” 5 December 2006. 17 February 2007.

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