Our History
In 1956, three businessmen and boyhood friends from Dayton, Ohio, had an idea for a new business venture. They wanted to provide financing and management advice to companies needing help. All they were waiting for was a suitable opportunity.
When that opportunity came two years later, it gave birth to an entrepreneurial machine.
Read below and discover our history.
A Timeline of Winsupply Inc.
1956
Primus Inc. (Primus) was incorporated.
The first Primus Board of Directors meeting is held with the first officers elected: Dick Schiewetz as president; Bob Kuhns Jr. and Steve Wolfe Sr. as vice presidents; Hastings Baker as secretary; and Jack Proffitt as treasurer. The founders agreed to be on the lookout for a small business that needed their help and guidance.
1962
Dick Schiewetz retired from his successful engineering career and took an active role in Primus' operations.
Dick Shiewetz set-up Primus operations in a small home office in the basement of his home in Oakwood, Ohio.
1963
Dapsco Inc. (Dapsco) — the forerunner to today’s Service Companies — is created to provide business services to Local Companies for competitive fees.
Dapsco set-up operations in an office formerly occupied by the N.O. Nelson Company in St. Louis, Missouri.
1972
Primus's first experiment with group buying begins with the formation of Carmen Inc. Vendors would be able to ship larger quantities to one location - a small warehouse in Arvada, Colorado to serve a growing number of Local Companies in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
1974
Dapsco relocates operations to basement of of Mr. Schiewetz's home in Oakwood, Ohio.
Requiring the need for more space, Primus and Dapsco relocate from the basement home office, to a basement space at Hills and Dales Shopping Center in nearby Kettering.
Lacking even a meeting room, many of the early morning board of directors meetings instead were held across the street at the Golden Nugget Pancake House (Restaurant).
Meetings late in the day might be held ten blocks north at Neil’s Heritage House (Restaurant).
1975
Rick Schwartz is named president of Dapsco, the business services company that supports the Local Companies.
1978
Local Companies begin adopting the Win name after an advertising executive tells Dick Schiewetz that the initials N. O. in the N. O. Nelson name might have a negative connotation, while the Win name presented a more positive image. Win-branded local company names eventually include Winnelson, Winair, Windustrial, Winlectric, Winwater, Wintronic, Winpump and Winfastener.
1982
Distro Inc. (Distro) — the forerunner to today’s Winsupply Sourcing Services (WSS) — is created to help Local Companies with group buying and reduce the cost of moving product from manufacturers to Local Companies and their customers.
Carmen Inc. changes its name to Distro West.
1985
Distro Dayton is opened in a 5,000-square-foot leased warehouse in Moraine, Ohio. This is the first distribution center (DC) in what will become the WSS Distribution Network and the direct precursor to the current WSS Dayton Regional Distribution Center (Dayton, Ohio).
1986
WISE is launched. Distro Dayton is the first company to go live on the Wholesalers Information Service Executive (WISE) system and becomes the roadmap for all Local Companies to adopt the WISE system. The WISE system is Winsupply's proprietary IT software.
1988
Distro Northeast is opened in north Haven, Connecticut. This is the direct precursor to the current Middletown Regional Distribution Center (Middletown, Connecticut).
1990
New, permanent offices — constructed by Dapsco — open at 3110 Kettering Blvd. in Moraine (3110). This is the first building on what is now Winsupply's Support Service Campus. The 3110 building housed Primus, Dapsco and the industry companies: separate subsidiaries serving Local Companies in plumbing industrial, electrical and other sectors.
The basement of the 3110 was left unfinished to keep the cost of the building to the bare minimum.
1994
Distro West becomes Distro Denver and is opened in Denver, Colorado. This is the is the direct precursor to the current WSS Denver Regional Distribution Center (Aurora, Colorado).
Basement space of 3110 was completed.
1998
After serving Primus as its president for 42 years, Dick Schiewetz retires from active management and becomes chairman of the board of Primus.
Rick Schwartz is appointed president of Primus. He is the second individual to hold this position since 1956.
2001
The 3110 Building was expanded; doubling the footprint of the building.
2002
Dick Schiewetz retires as Chairman of Primus.
2004
WinWholesale named Wholesaler of the Year by Supply House Times Magazine.
2005
Primus adopts the name WinWholesale Inc. — Primus Inc., Dapsco Inc., Winholesale Inc. and nine other companies with ownership in Local Companies merge to form WinWholesale Inc. The merger simplifies what had grown into a highly complex organization.
Rick Schwartz is WinWholesale's president and chief executive officer.
Distro is renamed WinWholesale Sourcing Services (WSS) as part of merger.
Noland Company is acquired — still the largest acquisition to date based on sales.
Noland's DC is part of Noland acquisition and becomes the WSS Richmond Regional Distribution Center (Richmond, Virginia).
2011
Rick Schwartz becomes WinWholesale's Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board and resigns the role of President.
Jack Johnston is appointed President. He is the third individual to hold this position since 1956.
2013
WinWholesale builds WSS Middletown Regional Distribution Center (Middletown, Connecticut).
WinWholeale purchased the 3131 S. Dixie Drive Building (3131). The six-story office building was next door to the 3110 building and replaced leased office space nearby. The 3110 and 3131 buildings form a key part of the Support Services Campus.
2014
WinWholesale builds WSS Denver Regional Distribution Center (Aurora, Colorado).
2015
Rick Schwartz resigns as Chief Executive Officer, while remaining Chairman of the Board. Jack Johnston is elected Chief Executive Officer, while remaining President.
WinWholesale Inc. changes its name to Winsupply Inc. Collectively, Winsupply is known as The Winsupply Family of Companies.
Winsupply named Supply House of the Year by Supply House Times Magazine.
All regional Support Services Offices were centralized to the 3131 building.
2016
Jack Johnston resigns as president, while remaining CEO.
Roland Gordon is appointed president. He is the fourth individual to hold this position since 1956.
2017
Jack Johnston resigns as CEO and retires.
Roland Gordon is appointed Chief Executive Officer, while remaining President.
2018
Winsupply Inc. is restructured into three groups — Winsupply Equity Group, Winsupply Local Company Group and Winsupply Support Services Group — that collectively furnish advice and support to help local companies focus on their customers, lead and grow their businesses, and compete successfully in their markets.
2019
Roland Gordon resigns as CEO, while remaining president.
2020
Roland Gordon retires as president.
John McKenzie is appointed president. He is the fifth individual to hold this position since 1956.
Winsupply opens WSS Jacksonville Regional Distribution center (Jacksonville, Florida).
2022
The Richard W. Schwartz Center for Innovation opens at 3300 Kettering Blvd. in Moraine to develop, test and refine innovations in IT and wholesaling operations that help local companies stay competitive. This center enables support services teams to work alongside a co-located local company: Winsupply of Dayton. The center is one of four buildings on Winsupply’s newly dubbed Support Services Campus, anchored by the original facility at 3110 Kettering Blvd.
Winsupply builds the WSS Oklahoma City Regional Distribution Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
2023
John McKenize retires as president.
Jeff Dice is appointed president. He is the sixth individual to hold this position since 1956.
Winsupply builds the WSS Phoenix Regional Distribution Center (Phoenix, Arizona).
2024
Winsupply purchased the shuttered Golden Nugget Pancake House property which was the site of many meetings in the early years of the company. While retaining ownership of the site, Winsupply revitalized the building and engaged a local restauranter which reopened the historic site as the Blue Berry Cafe.
2025
Construction begins on WSS Dayton Regional Distribution Center expansion (Dayton, Ohio).
Constructions begins on WSS Oklahoma City Regional Distribution center expansion (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma).
