The Container Store

The Container Store Group, Inc. is a specialty retail chain company that operates The Container Store, which specializes in storage and organization solutions. On July 1, 1978, The Container Store opened its doors in a small, 1,600-square-foot retail space in Dallas. Kip Tindell, Garrett Boone, and architect John Mullen opened a retail store offering a mix of products devoted to helping people simplify their lives. In doing so, they originated a new category of retailing, that of storage and organization. Initial cash capital was provided by Garrett, his father, and John Mullen, who were founding directors, officers and shareholders of the company. The company has reported an average of 20% annual growth every year that it has been in operation. In 1999, the company bought one of its main suppliers, elfa International, a Swedish corporation that specialized in shelving and storage units. Company president Melissa Reiff has credited the company's devotion to recruiting and retaining a highly qualified workforce as one of the keys to its success. The company has made Fortune's list of "100 Best Places to Work in America" in each of the past 14 years, through 2013.