Al and Sue Peggs founded The Peggs Company in 1960, starting in their garage and managing marquee letters for Ralphs Grocery Stores. In 1964, Al invented the first outdoor cart corrals, referred to as “buggy racks” which are still in use today. By the late 1960s, they expanded into manufacturing merchandising displays and cleaning grocery stores. John Peggs, their son, joined in 1967, helping to grow the company to three facilities in California.

In the 1970s, Peggs patented refrigerated case dividers for deli departments and introduced a system that rewarded customers for returning carts. Chris Nelson, Al Peggs’ stepson, joined as a service technician, adding to the family’s involvement in the business. Peggs introduced the first polyurethane shopping cart wheel. Named the “Revolution wheel,” it went on to become the standard wheel of the shopping cart industry.

The Peggs Company acquired United Steel & Wire’s West Coast operations, the world’s largest shopping cart manufacturer, and expanded into wire products and displays for grocery stores. They became the largest distributor of replacement parts for shopping carts. John Peggs and Chris Nelson purchased the company from Al and Sue Peggs upon their retirement and consolidated operations at their Riverside, California facility. This remains the current company headquarters.

The first new powder coating line was installed in the Riverside facility, paving the way to new growth opportunities. The introduction of vertical produce merchandising racks and revolutionized grocery store remodeling with their patented Universal Shelf, designed to fit any manufacturer’s refrigerated case. They also began manufacturing improved shelving for deli departments. These innovations kept Peggs at the forefront of grocery store merchandising solutions.

Peggs expanded operations across several U.S. states and developed a Gondola Moving System to streamline store remodels. They launched the first cart remanufacturing service in the U.S. and promoted child safety in shopping carts through ASTM International. Brett Nelson, Chris Nelson’s son, joined the company, representing the third generation of family leadership.

The company expanded its manufacturing capacity with a new facility in Virginia and developed patented shelving systems that improved efficiency in produce departments. In 2013, Chris and Brett Nelson purchased the company from John Peggs. They implemented cloud-based analytics for managing service crews and acquired additional facilities in Texas to grow their service and distribution network.

Brett Nelson became owner and CEO, continuing the family legacy into its third generation. Peggs launched a hospitality division and developed a stackable luggage cart, the EZ Stacker. The acquisition of Renfro Industries in Terrell, TX expanded manufacturing capabilities, including food service equipment production. They also opened a new facility in Jacksonville, Florida, to support their growing operations.