Lakeshore Learning Materials, LLC

We began in 1954 when Ethelyn Kaplan, a single mother, moved her family to California and opened a toy store. When educators started asking for teaching supplies, Ethelyn realized her true calling was to serve the educational community. From that initial toy store on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland, California, which gave us our name, we've grown significantly. After noticing a teacher purchase multiple puzzles, Ethelyn decided to sell the toy store and establish a new company in San Leandro, California, focusing exclusively on educational products. Her sons, Charles and Michael, joined the company in 1967 and 1971, respectively, and Ethelyn retired a few years later.

Over six decades later, we've become a global community with a strong e-commerce presence, multiple catalogs, over 60 retail stores across the nation, a dedicated national sales force, and international supply chain offices. We credit our continued success to the passion and enthusiasm of our remarkable team members. We are proud to be one of the most innovative manufacturers of educational materials in the country, offering a wide range of teaching resources, classroom decor, furniture, and hands-on learning products. Our focus is on helping school-age children achieve their educational goals. Approximately 70% of our products are private label, developed in-house by our experienced team, many of whom are former educators. We are dedicated to service, from product development to assembling classrooms, so teachers don't have to. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, driving the products we create and the services we provide. We are committed to creating products that matter, meticulously crafted to help students reach key milestones. We believe in making learning feel like play and are constantly seeking creative new ways to get kids excited about learning. Taking care of our people is a central value, and we offer learning and development opportunities for all employees. We've grown from a single retail store into an international business, and we believe our best days are still ahead as we strive to ensure every teacher and student has access to the best possible learning materials.