BOTTOM ROW - Trade Sign, Gilmore Enterprises

Trade Sign, Gilmore Enterprises, 1970

Donor: Chris Shook, Jim Gilmore Enterprises

Gilmore Enterprises was owned by Kalamazoo native and businessman James (Jim) S. Gilmore Jr. (1926-2000) and was located at 162 East Michigan Avenue. This stainless steel “g” represents the Gilmore Enterprises trademark. According to one of Gilmore’s earliest employees, stainless steel represented what the founder stood for; it was tough and durable. It was also said that Jim liked the look of the particular finish because it was simple, neat-looking, and easy to keep clean. 

A Distinctive Look 

Gilmore's use of stainless steel went far beyond his company logo--everywhere you turned in the Gilmore building, you could find unique peened stainless. The surface of the stainless steel was scored by tiny dents made by a ball-peen hammer, giving the steel a distinct, textured look. 

Beyond the Family 

After working as a young sales clerk at the family's Gilmore Department Store, Jim branched out to start his own business, Jim Gilmore Enterprises. By the late 1980s, he was operating numerous broadcasting outfits nationwide, had purchased a string of car dealerships, and served a two-year term as mayor of Kalamazoo (1959-61). 

Gilmore took home the 1977 Indianapolis 500 win, sponsoring legendary driver A.J. Foyt. Although he never got behind the wheel of a car at Indy, Jim was a constant at the track throughout the late 1960s-1970s. Gilmore-sponsored cars won a total of over 30 races, and, in 1989, he was inducted as a team owner to the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. 

Prior to his death in 2000, Jim--believing in his family's tradition of philantrophy--created the Jim Gilmore Jr. Foundation, which still lives on today.