Wirtz Corporation

{{Short description|United States holding company}}

{{moresources|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Wirtz Corporation

| logo = Wirtz corp logo.png

| type = Private

| key people = Danny Wirtz

| industry =

| products =

| revenue =

| owner =

| num_employees =

| foundation = United States ({{start date|1926}})

| location_city = Chicago, Illinois U.S.

| homepage = {{url|wirtzcorp.com}}

}}

Wirtz Corporation is an American holding company headquartered in Chicago. It was founded in 1926 by Arthur Wirtz as a family-owned corporation in charge of his real estate holdings.{{cite web|url=http://www.wirtzcorp.com/about.html|title=About us|work=wirtzcorp.com|access-date=20 July 2016}} The company soon expanded into liquor distribution.{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2908.html|title=Wirtz Corp.|last=Wilson|first=Mark|year=2004|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Chicago|access-date=20 July 2016}} It grew significantly throughout the 20th century by purchasing many competing liquor distributors, as well as the Chicago Blackhawks NHL team (becoming full owners in 1966), and the Chicago Bulls NBA team in 1972 (Wirtz Corporation sold the Bulls to Jerry Reinsdorf in 1985).{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/archives/1992/b327051.arc.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102060822/http://www.businessweek.com/archives/1992/b327051.arc.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 2, 2013|title=THE TOUGHEST #&?!%* IN SPORTS|access-date=2008-10-07|date=1992-06-15|work=BusinessWeek}} It is part owner of the United Center arena{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=939641|title=Company Overview of Wirtz Corporation|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=20 July 2016}} in addition to owning banking and insurance interests.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120414/ISSUE01/304149972/rockys-road-to-the-top|title=Rocky's road to the top|last=MacArthur|first=Kate|date=April 14, 2012|work=Crain's Chicago Business|access-date=20 July 2016}}

After founder Arthur Wirtz's death in 1983, his son, William, took control of the corporation and ran it until his death in 2007. The company's next owner and CEO, (William's son) Rocky died in 2023 and was succeeded by his son Danny Wirtz.