Gellco Clothing & Shoes was cofounded by George Elliot and James A. Stowe, Sr. George Elliot and James Stowe, Sr. were both Greyhound bus drivers who began selling uniforms to other Greyhound drivers. Their first accounts were with Greyhound, MK&O, and other bus lines. In 1958 James left Greyhound. In 1959 Gellco Uniforms & Shoes opened its doors on Cincinnati, between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

The earliest days of Gellco Uniforms history saw sales primarily of uniform items. In the early 1960s safety shoes became a part of Gellco Uniforms and Shoes inventory, as workplace safety became a consideration. Red Wing Shoes were our first brand of safety shoes, with retail prices averaging around $11.95. We also sold LeHigh and some Hy-Test safety shoes.

In 1960 Gellco Uniforms moved to the north side of 3rd Street because of an Urban Renewal project. Gellco Uniforms soon purchased its first shoe truck and began to offer on-site sales to industries in Oklahoma and Texas. Our first truck, a semi, shared the stores inventory and would be loaded and unloaded frequently. One of our first large shoe accounts was Crane Carrier, still a current customer. As sales increased and the business continued to grow, we were able to purchase a custom-made step van for our shoe-mobile.

1963 was an important year for Gellco Uniforms. During this year James bought-out his partner, George Elliott. Although the company had been named after George, James decided to continue doing business as Gellco Uniforms to retain the customers who already knew them. In 1970 we moved to our current downtown location at 2nd and Denver. James' son, Jim Jr. moved to Tulsa and came to work for Gellco in 1971. In 1974 the family business was incorporated and the name had been changed to Gellco Clothing & Shoes.

Since our first sale hard work and integrity have been the keys to our success. We now run 3 shoe trucks and have 20 employees dispersed between our three locations. Safety Shoes and Work Clothing remain the fundamentals of our sales. Still a family business, Jim Jr. owns the corporation. Even though our prices have increased from our first pair of $11.95 shoes, we still believe superior customer service and a genuine concern for our customers will make us successful for years to come.