Although the end has essentially been there for a while, the demise of the once mighty K-Mart ends another chapter in the corporate history of Detroit, especially with retail establishments. While the Big 3 automakers continue to be the most notable brand names coming out of Detroit, the list of former companies from the Motor City is long, some still exist in a non-Detroit oriented form (Motown Records, Comerica Bank, Sanders Chocolates), some have rebranded (Ally Financial, former GMAC) but many are gone. Hudson’s, National Bank of Detroit, American Motors (but the Pacer lives on with Wayne and Garth!), Harmony House, Jacobson’s and Stroh Brewery Company are just some of the names you think of when strolling down memory lane of Detroit Companies.
While the Big 3 still exist, along with stalwarts like Faygo, a lot has disappeared over the years although new companies like Rocket Mortgage and others have entered the marketplace. Change is always constant but disappearance of so many companies leave some nostalgia for those of us growing up in the city in 1970s and 1980s and fondly remember the K-Mart “Blue Light Specials” in the days before Amazon and Walmart.
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