Celebrating National Entrepreneurship Month

The Entrepreneurial Spark: Where It Begins

Entrepreneurs do not all start with the same background, career plan, or industry experience.

The spark may come from a military recruiting event. Sometimes it comes from decades on the contractor side of the counter. Sometimes it begins at a career fair. Sometimes it comes from watching someone else get an opportunity and realizing you want one, too.

And sometimes it begins with a quiet refusal to let someone else dictate your future.

For Adam Van Lear, President of Winsupply Austin Tx Co. (Texas), the journey into wholesale distribution started after leaving the U.S. Army. Van Lear had always liked buying and selling things, but he knew he didn’t like being told what to do. At a military recruiting event, he met Monte Salsman and Steve Coen, who introduced him to the Winsupply model.

Van Lear remembers thinking it sounded too good to be true, but his father encouraged him to take the risk, reminding him that if he didn’t like it, he could always find another job. Sixteen years later, Van Lear is still at the helm in Austin.

A similar desire for autonomy fueled Brendan Recchia, President of Winsupply Clayton NC Co. (North Carolina). As he prepared to transition out of the military in 2013, Recchia sought an opportunity to lead a team, build a vision, and roll up his sleeves, with the freedom to chart his own course.

When he walked into his Winsupply interview, it stood out as the only offer that felt genuine. He felt as though he was being handed the keys to his own bus, with down-to-earth leaders behind him who shared his drive to win.

For Josh Leas, President of Twin City Windustrial (Minnesota), the opportunity took shape at a college career fair. Studying industrial distribution, Leas met Area Leader Andy Wademan, which led to an opportunity with Grandview Winnelson and eventually to Kansas City.

Working alongside young, motivated, and competitive people showed Leas what was possible within Winsupply. It also showed him the impact strong Local Company leadership could have on a business.

An acquisition provided the spark for Albert L. Keatts Jr., President of Martinsville Noland Company (Virginia), when Winsupply acquired Noland. When the Manager position opened, Keatts borrowed a substantial amount of money to max out his stock ownership within three years, placing a decisive bet on his own potential.

For James Stephens, President of Winsupply Crossville (Tennessee), the spark was rooted in experience. He had worked in the industry since 1992 and already knew the customers, the community, and the business. What he didn’t have was the opportunity to own it.

When Winsupply acquired Williams Wholesale, that changed. Stephens says the opportunity allowed him to take what he had learned over the years, put it into practice, and build something of his own.

Sometimes, however, the spark begins as a resistance to the business before ultimately coming full circle.

Allen White, President of West Phoenix Winsupply (Arizona), grew up sweeping shop floors, stocking warehouse shelves, and running errands for his father, who was a longtime Local Company President. As a young man, White wanted nothing to do with the industry, viewing it as unglamorous and exhausting. It took a challenging period in his personal life—and two years of hard-won sobriety—for his father to convince him to give driving and warehousing another shot. Working his way back up, White discovered an innate passion for leadership and human connection. In 2021, he opened West Phoenix Winsupply with seven employees. Five years later, his company operates with nearly 60, built entirely on a culture of putting people first.

Whether forged through military discipline, academic discovery, decades of trade experience, or personal transformation, these leaders prove that there is no single path to entrepreneurship.

When the door opened, they were each willing to bet on themselves.

Members of the West Phoenix Winsupply team and guests at the 2026 Winsupply Annual Meetings and Vendor Showcase in Texas. From left: Jake Knudson, Alma Knudson, Richard Craven, Amanda Craven, Allen White (President), Brianne White, Danielle Silvey, Mikey Silvey, Ciara Traynor, Edgar Macias, and Maddison Morales.

Visit winsupply.com/entrepreneur to learn more about becoming a Winsupply Local Company President.

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About Winsupply:

Founded in 1956, Winsupply is a family of companies that includes more than 680 wholesalers across the United States; service companies for business support and sourcing; and Winsupply Inc. In business to build entrepreneurs, Winsupply Inc. holds a majority equity stake in these independent, locally owned and operated wholesalers, known as Winsupply Local Companies.

Winsupply Inc.'s annual sales totaled $8.4 billion for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2026. The Winsupply Family of Companies employs more than 9,500 people nationwide.

Collectively, Winsupply Local Companies are among America's leading distributors of construction materials, equipment, supplies, and solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, municipal and MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) applications.

Winsupply Local Companies serve contractors and installers across America in plumbing and heating; hydronics; pipes, valves and fittings; HVAC and refrigeration; electrical; fastening hardware; waterworks and utility; pumps; turf irrigation and landscape; and pipe, metal, specialty and fire system fabrication. Local Companies also sell direct to commercial and industrial facilities organizations.

The local owners of Winsupply Local Companies earn their own success through The Spirit of Opportunity®: the chance to risk your own money, gain equity, and run your own wholesaling company to pursue the American Dream, with help from Winsupply.

Visit winsupply.com for our e-Commerce site; visit company.winsupply.com for company information. Follow Winsupply on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.