Beall's 100-year anniversary

Bradenton-based Beall's Inc., corporate parent of Beall's Department Stores and Beall's and Burke's Outlet Stores, turns 100 years old in 2015.The milestone has been marked with multiple celebrations and ceremonies. That includes a 100-year documentary, four years in the making, that premiered in May at the Manatee Performing Arts Center; a mural of the first day at the first store painted on the wall of the downtown building that housed the original Beall's; a proclamation of a Beall's Day from Manatee County commissioners; and a new historical marker, near the first Beall's on Old Main Street, that details the founding and anniversary.

Here's a glance at the company's past, present and future:

PAST
Robert Beall opened the first Beall's in 1915 in what was then Bradentown, on the banks of the Manatee River. He called the store the Five Dollar Limit, reflecting the maximum price of goods. Beall spent his entire $2,500 investment on stock, so he turned over the wood crates that held products for display tables.
Robert Beall's son, E.R., joined the business in the 1940s. In 1946 the father-son duo changed the name to Beall's Department Stores.
The first Beall's Outlet store opened in 1987. The first outlet store outside Florida opened in 1992, in Arizona.
E.R. Beall's son, Bob Beall, joined the company in 1968. All three Bealls worked at the company until 1979, when Robert Beall died.

PRESENT
Chairman: Bob Beall
CEO: Steve Knopik
Employees: 12,000
Revenues: $1.29 billion in 2014
Divisions: Beall's Department Stores has 72 locations, all in Florida. Beall's and Burke's Outlet Stores has 449 locations in 16 states.

Future
Leadership: Bob Beall's son Matt Beall, the fourth generation, joined the company in 2004. (Bob Beall's three daughters live out of Florida and don't have any active role in the business.) Matt Beall works in merchandising and purchasing for the department store division, with a focus on menswear and children's wear.

Like the other Bealls before him, Matt Beall, say several company executives, is humble and works hard. He sometimes will introduce himself as Matt, no last name, to vendors and suppliers, to avoid any loaded impressions. “His numbers are looking really good,” says Bob Beall. “I'm proud of him.”

Stores: The company announced a new concept late last year called Bunulu. It's a new line of stores geared toward younger customers that will tint upscale and focus on active wear, in a nod toward the Lululemon craze. The name, pronounced Boo-new-lou, is an Aborigine term for place of water, say Beall's executives. The store's tagline is Land. Water. Style.

“Our goal,” states a Bunulu blog post, “is to provide Coastal Florida with the apparel and accessories that fit the unique needs of the active, vibrant, and demanding residents.”

Beall's officials say one lease for Bunulu is signed, and three others are in the works. One location will be in the St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, and the first store could open by September. Stores, with natural wood panel floors, will be around 4,000 square feet. The chain has an active social media following, including Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages.

This story was updated to reflect the correct number of employees at Beall's.