Emile E. Cuny & Walter M. Guerber met in high school and founded Cuny & Guerber, Inc. soon after. They shared a single desk in an office on Murray Street for a short period of time and then opened an office and warehouse at 46 W. Broadway in New York City. At that time, New York City was not only a manufacturing center, it was also the location of the Central Purchasing Departments of all of the large corporations.