Jump aboard The Business Journal time machine once again, delving into our newspaper archives to see what was happening in the Central Valley 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

Fresno’s Archer & Hound is born — 2014

Two Fresno marketing agencies that previously joined forces announced a new name 10 years ago this month: Archer & Hound Advertising.

The agency — No. 2 on our 2024 list of Marketing Agencies/PR Firms with 30 employees — was born from a 2013 merger between Multi Marketing Corp and Maverick Marketing.

Fresno’s EYE-Q Vision Care had a role in the merger as owner of Maverick Marketing, which combined its traditional media and advertising experience with Multi-Marketing Corp’s strategic marketing services and digital and social media experience.

Archer & Hound wasted little time making its market, named Agency of the Year for 2014 by the Fresno Advertising Federation.

“We knew the coming together of the two agencies would be great, but what we have grown to become, in just a short amount of time, is much more than that,” said Dave Blanchfield, owner of Archer & Hound Advertising.

 

Future of Toys R Us on the line — 2004

Jordan Naffziger, 7, was shopping with his father Marc at the former Toys R Us store on Shaw and Marty avenues in Fresno in December 2004, trying to find a present for his sister but “always seeing the same stuff.”

It’s that lack of change perhaps that had Toys R Us that year try placing display cases in their 685 U.S. stores at a kid’s eye level, so they can see what their favorite toys look like outside the box.

It was a last ditch effort, as Toys R Us also announced earlier that year that it may sell off its stores, waiting to make a decision until after the holiday season.

A decision was finally made, albeit in 2017, to file for bankruptcy protection. The local locations closed in spring 2018.

The brand — known for the Geoffrey the Giraffe mascot — does live on as a section inside some Macy’s stores, including at Fashion Fair Mall.

The new owner is also planning dozens of new “flagship” Toys R Us stores, announcing plans last week to expand into Panama in 2025.

 

Corcoran casket maker kicks the bucket — 1994

A year after Cherry Hill Corp. opened a casket-manufacturing plant in Corcoran with the promise of hiring up to 100 workers, the facility had all but closed its doors by December 1994.

You could say the business was dead on arrival.

Based in New Jersey, the casket maker opened the plant with help from a $80,000 loan from Corcoran’s community development program.

Corcoran officials could not raise a single soul when trying to call Cherry Hill Corp.

There was some disagreement on just how productive the facility was. A Kings County economic development official said they only turned out a few cremation caskets on site. The Corcoran City Manager was not even sure about that.