Kinney Parking Company
Kinney Parking Company was a New Jersey-founded parking operator that became the foundation of a broader services conglomerate and was eventually acquired by Central Parking Corporation.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Kinney Parking Company was a United States parking operator established in New Jersey in 1945 by Manny Kimmel. Its principal business was the operation of parking lots and related parking facilities, with its strongest presence in the Northeastern United States. The company later became associated with a much larger services enterprise whose activities extended well beyond parking. A significant early expansion came in 1961, when Kinney entered an arrangement with Abbey Rent-A-Car. Abbey customers could park without charge at Kinney facilities, while Kinney received a 25 percent ownership interest in Abbey. The relationship led Manny Kimmel and Abbey founder Edward Rosenthal to combine their businesses. Rosenthal contributed additional companies, including Riverside Memorial Chapel and City Service Cleaning Contractors, and the resulting organization was renamed Kinney Service Corporation. The enlarged company became publicly traded and pursued acquisitions across parking, vehicle rental, funeral services, cleaning, and related businesses. Kinney Service Corporation continued to expand during the 1960s. In 1964 it acquired Walter B. Cooke, Inc., an operator of nine New York funeral homes. Around the same period, the broader organization had substantial operating scale, including reported sales of $29 million in 1964, a fleet of approximately 6,000 cars, and roughly 100 franchised automobile dealers in six states leasing vehicles under the Kinney name. A proposed 1965 merger with Terminal Maintenance L.I. Inc., a Long Island building-cleaning and maintenance company, was announced but ultimately did not proceed for reasons not identified in the available account. In 1966, Kinney Service Corporation merged with National Cleaning Contractors, a company with roots in a nineteenth-century window-cleaning and house-renovation business. The combined company became Kinney National Company. Under Steve Ross, Kinney National pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy that shifted the group's center of gravity toward entertainment and media. Its acquisitions included National Periodical Publications, the publisher associated with DC Comics, Ashley-Famous, Panavision, and Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. The parking business consequently became one component of a diversified corporate structure rather than the group's defining activity. During the early 1970s, the media and non-media operations were separated. The media-oriented company became Warner Communications, while most non-media assets were placed in National Kinney Corporation. National Kinney retained and expanded service-related activities, including parking and building services, and also moved into real estate. Its acquisition of the Uris Buildings Corporation exposed it to the severe New York real-estate downturn of the 1973–75 recession, and the principal Uris building asset was subsequently lost through foreclosure. National Kinney later disposed of several businesses. In 1982 it sold its National States Electric division and reached an agreement to sell its parking subsidiary, Kinney System Inc., to Daniel Katz and a group of investors. After National Kinney renamed itself Andal Corporation in 1985, the parking operation was separated further and became independent again. Under Lewis Katz, Kinney System was described as the largest publicly held parking company in the United States at that time. Kinney System remained independent for part of the late 1980s and 1990s, but its corporate identity did not survive indefinitely. In the late 1990s, Central Parking Corporation acquired the company. The Kinney name was retired as a consumer-facing parking brand by the beginning of the twenty-first century. The company's legacy is therefore tied both to the development of large-scale urban parking operations and to the corporate lineage that helped lead to Warner Communications, later part of the media businesses that became associated with WarnerMedia and Warner Bros. Discovery.
History
Kinney Parking Company was incorporated in New Jersey in 1945 by Manny Kimmel and developed as a regional parking operator serving the Northeastern United States. Caesar Kimmel, Manny Kimmel's son, managed the business. Its operations centered on parking lots and related facilities, but the company later became the starting point for a far more diversified corporate group. In 1961 Kinney formed a commercial relationship with Abbey Rent-A-Car, founded by Edward Rosenthal. Abbey customers could use Kinney facilities without paying parking charges, while Abbey granted Kinney a 25 percent ownership interest. The arrangement encouraged Rosenthal and Kimmel to combine their businesses. Rosenthal brought Riverside Memorial Chapel and City Service Cleaning Contractors into the combination, producing Kinney Service Corporation. The new company went public and began acquiring businesses in adjacent service industries. Kinney acquired Walter B. Cooke, Inc. in 1964. Walter B. Cooke operated nine funeral homes in New York, illustrating the company's movement beyond parking. The wider group also operated a substantial vehicle-rental and dealer-leasing business. Historical accounts report that the company had $29 million in sales in 1964, a fleet of about 6,000 cars, and around 100 franchised automobile dealers in six states leasing vehicles under the Kinney name. A proposed merger with Terminal Maintenance L.I. Inc. was announced in July 1965 but did not take place. In 1966 Kinney merged with National Cleaning Contractors, a company whose roots went back to National Window Cleaning and House Renovating Co., founded by Louis Frankel in 1886. The combined business became Kinney National Company. Steve Ross, who had joined the Riverside organization after marrying Carol Rosenthal, became the central executive figure in the enlarged enterprise. Ross used Kinney National as a platform for rapid diversification into entertainment and media. The group acquired National Periodical Publications, associated with DC Comics, as well as the Ashley-Famous talent agency, Panavision, and Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1969. This transformation diluted the parking company's prominence within the corporate group, although parking remained part of the non-media operations. In the early 1970s the enterprise was reorganized. The media business became Warner Communications on February 10, 1972, while most non-media activities were transferred to National Kinney Corporation. National Kinney expanded into real estate by acquiring Uris Buildings Corporation from Harold Uris. The acquisition coincided with the 1973–75 New York real-estate recession, and the principal Uris building asset was eventually lost through foreclosure. National Kinney also became involved in a proposed 1979 purchase of the Aladdin hotel and casino in Las Vegas, with Johnny Carson as a proposed partner. Public circulation of information about the transaction was followed by trading in National Kinney stock and insider-trading proceedings against third parties. The case resulted in disgorgement of profits, although the available source does not identify Kinney as the party charged. In 1982 National Kinney sold its National States Electric division and agreed to sell Kinney System Inc. to Daniel Katz and other investors. National Kinney changed its name to Andal Corporation in 1985 and sold its remaining majority interest in the parking business. Kinney System was subsequently independent again and, under Lewis Katz, was described as the largest publicly held parking company in the United States at the time. The independent parking company continued operating into the late 1990s. Central Parking Corporation then acquired it, and the Kinney name was phased out by the early 2000s. Kinney's historical importance lies in its regional parking operations, its role in the consolidation of service businesses, and its place in the corporate lineage that ultimately connected the original parking company with Warner Communications and later media conglomerates.
- 1990
Warner Communications merges with Time
[1]The media successor that had separated from the Kinney services group merged with Time, although this was not an operational event for Kinney's parking business.
- 1985
National Kinney becomes Andal Corporation
[1]Following the name change, the former parent sold its remaining majority interest in Kinney System.
- 1982
Kinney System sale is agreed
[1]National Kinney agreed to sell the parking subsidiary to Daniel Katz and other investors.
- 1979
Aladdin hotel proposal and trading controversy
[1]National Kinney pursued a proposed Aladdin hotel acquisition with Johnny Carson; subsequent stock trading led to SEC insider-trading cases involving third parties.
- 1972
Media and non-media operations are separated
[1]The media-oriented business became Warner Communications, while most non-media assets were placed in National Kinney.
- 1969
Expansion into entertainment and media
[1]Kinney National acquired Warner Bros.-Seven Arts after earlier purchases including National Periodical Publications, Ashley-Famous, and Panavision.
- 1966
Formation of Kinney National Company
[1]Kinney merged with National Cleaning Contractors and adopted the Kinney National name.
- 1964
Walter B. Cooke acquisition
[1]Kinney acquired Walter B. Cooke, an operator of nine New York funeral homes.
- 1962
Kinney Service Corporation becomes publicly traded
[1]The enlarged services company, led by Steve Ross, was taken public.
- 1961
Abbey Rent-A-Car relationship and merger
[1]Kinney entered a parking arrangement with Abbey Rent-A-Car that preceded the combination of their businesses and affiliated service companies.
Products and positioning
A regional urban parking operator that expanded into a broader, publicly traded services group before its parking business was separated, re-established as an independent company, and ultimately absorbed by Central Parking Corporation.
Parking services · 1945
Kinney parking facilities
Kinney's core offering was the operation of parking lots and related facilities, particularly in the Northeastern United States. The company provided spaces for customers and developed business relationships with adjacent mobility operators, including Abbey Rent-A-Car. Its parking activity later operated through Kinney System as part of a larger services group and ultimately as an independent publicly held company.
Automotive services
Kinney automobile leasing and rental services
The wider Kinney organization operated vehicle-related services under the Kinney name, including rental activity and leasing arrangements involving franchised automobile dealers. By 1964, the group reportedly had approximately 6,000 cars and about 100 franchised dealers in six states. These activities belonged to the broader Kinney services enterprise rather than solely to the original parking operation.
Controversies
1979
Aladdin hotel proposal insider-trading controversy
National Kinney's proposed purchase of the Aladdin hotel and casino with Johnny Carson was followed by trading in National Kinney shares after details of the proposal circulated. The Securities and Exchange Commission brought insider-trading charges against third parties, and profits were disgorged. The available account does not state that Kinney itself was charged.
Brand decisions
1985
Complete separation of the parking businessStrategyBackground
National Kinney renamed itself Andal Corporation while continuing to dispose of its remaining operating interests.
Action taken
Andal sold its remaining majority interest in Kinney System.
Aftermath
Kinney System again became an independent parking company and was later acquired by Central Parking.
1982
Sell Kinney System to investor groupM&ABackground
National Kinney was divesting businesses while reorganizing its portfolio of non-media assets.
Action taken
The parent agreed to sell Kinney System Inc. to Daniel Katz and other investors.
Aftermath
The parking business was separated from the National Kinney/Andal corporate structure and later operated independently.
1966
Merge with National Cleaning ContractorsM&ABackground
Kinney Service Corporation was seeking broader scale across service businesses.
Action taken
It merged with National Cleaning Contractors and became Kinney National Company.
Aftermath
The enlarged group pursued major acquisitions in entertainment and media, reducing the relative prominence of parking within the enterprise.
1961
Combine Kinney with Abbey-related businessesM&ABackground
A parking partnership with Abbey Rent-A-Car created commercial and ownership links between the two companies.
Action taken
Manny Kimmel and Edward Rosenthal combined their companies and added Riverside Memorial Chapel and City Service Cleaning Contractors, creating Kinney Service Corporation.
Aftermath
The company became a public, diversified services group and expanded through further acquisitions.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kinney-parking-company · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled