Jerry Ellis
In 1964, 37 year-old Jerry Ellis partnered with longtime friend Harry Andler to joint venture the sale of a Westerly, RI furniture fire-stock. For a selling floor they rented a warehouse in the Old Hingham Shipyard. At the time, neither Harry nor Jerry considered their joint-venture to be a permanent endeavor. However, it soon became apparent that the customers who came to the Old Shipyard Building with the number 19 on its side loved its bargains and informality. It also became apparent that the insurance companies liked having an outlet for their salvage merchandise.

Building #19, Inc. retails insurance salvage, bankruptcy stocks, irregulars, railroad salvage, mail order returns, close-outs and other off-price "goodies". An affiliated company, B.N.S. Re-Apportioners Inc., wholesales any surplus or overstocks.

Since 1964 the company has grown to well over a dozen stores in the Boston-Providence area.