“Hey Jerry, What’s the Story?”

State of the Union(s)—From Dealer to Distributor

In the early 1960s, George Kane was among the original organizers of the floor covering union. “My grandfather was the goodwill ambassador for all NYC unions—from Transit to the Carting Collectors to the Carpenters,” says CEO David Simon

Eventually, Kane helped conceive an innovative business plan to provide union member discounts on manufacturers direct prices by gathering market share through the unions themselves. Once carpet manufacturers were assured the necessary volume, they sold carpet to JGE at 5%-40% less than any other carpet distributor.

“Basically, my grandfather grew from a dealer to a distributor once he proved he could provide volume and market share, coupled with his industry knowledge and credibility,” says David.

By 1975, Brooklyn Carpet Exchange had evolved into JGE Carpet and George Kane decided to promote his store’s carpeting services in a series of eye-catching TV commercials. The ads’ humorous spokesman and his catchphrase “Hey Jerry, What’s the Story?” became incredibly popular throughout the NYC area and even made the cover of New York Magazine.

“This phrase became a metropolitan phenomena,” says David. “Everywhere you went, you could hear people saying it.”