History

Since 1985, OUAC Inc has been devoted to helping people save money & make money by providing a clean and friendly environment for resale.

Ubberhaus® is the most recent concept developed by the same people who brought you the familiar brands Once Upon a Child ®, Plato's Closet®, New Uses® General Store, Clothes Mentor®/Once Upon a Mom®.

 

OUAC Inc History & Timeline

  • 1985 - The Year it All Started
    • Lynn Blum opens first Once Upon A Child Store in Perrysburg Ohio a suburb of Toledo. 
  • 1987
    • The Blum family relocates to Columbus Ohio and opens second store in Dublin a fast growing suburb of Columbus.
  • 1989
    • Three additional Once Upon a Child stores are opened in Columbus and Toldeo area.
  • 1990 - First Franchise Store
    • First franchise Once Upon a Child store is opened in Indianapolis Indiana
    • Additional stores are opened and existing stores are expanded and relocated
  • 1991 - Featured in Fortune Magazine
    • Additional franchise stores are opened in Indianapolis (2nd store), Kokomo Indiana, Muncie Indiana, Lancaster Ohio, Cincinnati Ohio, Cleveland Ohio and Pittsburg PA
    • Once Upon a Child is featured in September Fortune Magazine article "Look who likes franchising now"
  • 1992
    • Once Upon a Child concept goes national. Franchise rights are sold to Growbiz Corporation the same company that franchised Play It Again Sports®.
    • Once Upon a Child grows to 22 stores
  • 1994 - A Year of Rapid Growth
    • Blum's open three more stores
    • Once Upon a Child quickly grows to nearly 200 stores in the U.S. and Canada
    • Fortune magazine recognized Growbiz in list of fastest growing companies
  • 1995 -  Ten Years and Growing Strong
    • Company celebrates ten years in operation. Blum's thank customers by giving away ten ten-speed bikes at their ten stores.
  • 1997 - A New Uses Concept is Born
    • Blum's open first New Uses General Store in Columbus Ohio as a way to help reuse and recycle no longer needed household items
  • 1998 - Plato's Closet Concept is Born
    • Blum's open first Plato's Closet store in Columbus Ohio. Similar to Once Upon a Child except catered towards teeens and young adults
    • By year end, three additional Plato's Closet stores are open in
    • Plato's Closet franchise rights are sold to Growbiz Corporation and franchised nationally
  • 2001 - Another New Concept is Born
    • Blum's open first Clothes Mentor store in Upper Arlington Ohio
    • Plato's Closet concept grows to 27 stores nationally
  • 2004
    • Second New Uses General Store is opened in Reynoldsburg Ohio
  • 2005
    • Once Upon a Child celebrates twenty years. Blum's thank loyal customers by awarding customers 20 $20 gift cards for twenty weeks at their twenty stores and a grand prize of $20,000 cash!
  • 2006
    • Clothes Mentor franchise rights are sold to Ron Olsen the founder of Growbiz.
  • 2007 - Ubberhaus is Born
    • Blum's start Ubberhaus a new concept to help people find a new home for the pre-loved furniture and decor items