Lack’s was founded in 1935 when Sam Lack, a Russian immigrant, started his first store in McAllen, Texas. Though he had seen many parts of the country, Lack chose south Texas for its beautiful countryside and tropical climate. His successful career as a merchant began in a modest building at the corner of Main and Beaumont in downtown McAllen.
 
America’s love affair with automobiles during the 1930s and their growing accessibility convinced Lack to create a specialty business selling auto parts. Under his watchful eye and with tireless support from his family, his business flourished. Only three years after opening, Lack built his second store in Edinburg, which was quickly followed by new stores in Mission and Weslaco.

The war years of the 1940’s were hard on the U.S. economy, and auto parts were rationed along with food and gasoline. Determined to succeed, Lack began offering household appliances – the first new product category since the stores began. As he added new products and opened stores across the Valley, Lack’s business transformed from a small auto parts chain into a full-scale furniture and appliances operation.

In 1949, Lack’s son-in-law Myles Aaronson began helping him run the family business. Aaronson later purchased the Weslaco store from Lack and began his own expansion program, called Lack’s Associated Valley Stores, Inc., but continued to trade under the Lack family name. Aaronson purchased the Edinburg and Mission stores from Sam Lack and his son Stanley in 1990, and the company changed its name to Lack’s Valley Stores, Ltd in 1995.

Two years later, Lee Aaronson, son of Sylvia and Myles Aaronson, became the stores’ chief executive officer. The stores remain a family-owned business under the guidance of the Aaronson family, including Lee Aaronson, Carolyn Aaronson and Vicki Hutson.

Today, Lack’s Valley Stores, Ltd. (also known as “Lacks”) has ten outlets on the Texas border from Laredo to Port Isabel. Lacks Galleria in McAllen is one of the largest furniture stores in Texas at 140,000 square feet. The company’s newest store, Lacks Showcase in Edinburg, opened October 2007.

Lacks is one of the top 100 retail furniture operations in the U.S. and employs over 700 associates.