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In 1951, Mel Jacobson started Mel's Van O Lite in Minneapolis, MN, by stocking and selling light bulbs out of a van -- hence the name. In 1955, he partnered with Don McLellan and their company really started to develop a presence in the Minneapolis area. In the 1960's a warehouse was purchased and Mel's Van O Lite began its role as a prime light bulb distributor in the Minneapolis, MN area. During this time period, Mel's Van O Lite moved twice as they continued to grow and need more warehousing.After Mel retired in 1980, Don McLellan continued to run the company (as Van O Lite) with three of his sons, Dave (Service Lighting CEO), Tom and Steve. It was during this time that Van O Lite solidified its presence in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area as a major player in the lighting industry.Van O Lite, Inc. first landed on the internet in the fall of 1996. The concept of selling light bulbs online was one that had not been previously conceived, and it proved to be extremely useful for those looking for those hard to find replacement light bulbs on the web. For the first couple weeks, Van O Lite's website (www.vanolite.com) was a basic informational website with lighting information and company history / objectives. Various people emailed in their comments and requests, and the need for online shopping was noticed. A couple months later Paul McLellan (Dave McLellan's son & Service Lighting General Manager) started work on what would become the internet's first company to sell light bulbs online.

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