Otasco was a retail chain based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was first established in 1918 by three Jewish Lithuanian immigrant brothers, Sam (1898-1939), Maurice (1891-1970), and Herman (1889-1971) Sanditen, who opened the first Oklahoma Tire and Supply Company (OTASCO) in Okmulgee. The company moved its headquarters to Tulsa in 1925. In 1960 the McCrory Corporation bought the company. In 1968 the chain had 455 units in 12 states. In 1984 the firm's employees bought the company from McCrory, creating one of the largest employee-owned companies in America.[1] In 1988 the retail chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy which resulted in the closing of 170 stores across 11 states (1988, New York Times).[verification needed] Otasco specialized in auto parts and appliances. One Otasco store was located in Covington, Louisiana during the 1970s and 1980s. As of 2008 an Otasco was still apparently operating in Beaver, Oklahoma.[2]
