During the 1930’s the patriarch of the Ofer Family Joseph Hershkovitz, Sammy and Yuli’s father, began a business which supplied ship chandlery (maritime supplies) to boats harbored in the port of Haifa. The original business customers were ships docked in Haifa mainly from Bulgaria and Romania.
After the World War II the Ofer brothers joined their father in his chandlery business. Originally the oldest brother David was also involved in the family business, but he eventually left it to pursue a career in public service. David eventually rose to the equivalent of the rank of General in the Israeli police force. In 1994 David Ofer passed away.
In the 1960s the Ofer family changed their name from Hershkovitz to Ofer.