Do it Best
Do it Best is a member-owned hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative serving approximately 8,000 independent retailers across the United States and 450+ stores in 50+ countries, distributing products through eight owned distribution centers and a portfolio of exclusive brands, analytics software, and retail support programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersFort Wayne, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Do it Best does
Do it Best is a member-owned hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative founded in 1945 and headquartered at the Electric Works campus in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Following the 2024 acquisitions of United Hardware (May) and True Value (November, $153M), the cooperative operates as Do it Best Group with two national retail brands—Do it Best and True Value—serving approximately 8,000 independent hardware stores, lumberyards, and home centers across the United States plus 450+ international stores in more than 50 countries. The cooperative generates revenue by selling products from eight company-owned distribution centers (stocking 65,000+ items with a 97% fill rate) and through drop-ship programs from thousands of vendors, then returns a substantial portion of margins to member-owners via year-end rebates (over $1B paid in the last decade, with roughly 80% in cash) and a 2% weekly cash discount on warehouse invoices.
The platform combines physical distribution, exclusive brands (Channellock, Best Look/EasyCare paints, Home Impressions, Best Comfort, Best Garden), and a software layer including the Retail Pulse analytics platform, Margin Master pricing software, Inventory & Pricing Dashboard, Best Rewards loyalty program, ADpak consumer marketing, Signature Store Design, The Color Bar paint experience, DiBTV training library, and the Pick N Pack ecommerce app. Members access compliant POS systems (Epicor Eagle/BisTrack preferred, plus ECi and Profile Systems alternatives), the doitbest.com ecommerce storefront, and an innovation hub launched in Dallas in January 2026 focused on AI for inventory prediction and SKU code mapping. The cooperative serves small-to-mid-sized independent retailers (typically 1-30 locations) competing against big-box players, with verticals spanning residential DIY, professional contractors, commercial/industrial MRO via INCOM Supply (500+ distributors), and international members with localized assortments and freight-forwarder logistics.
Do it Best firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Do it Best
- Legal name
- Do it Best Corp.
- Website
- https://doitbestonline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Do it Best is a member-owned hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative serving approximately 8,000 independent retailers across the United States and 450+ stores in 50+ countries, distributing products through eight owned distribution centers and a portfolio of exclusive brands, analytics software, and retail support programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Do it Best industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hardware, Lumber & Building Materials Wholesale Distribution
- NAICS
- Hardware Merchant Wholesalers (423710), Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (4237), Hardware Merchant Wholesalers (42371)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Hardware (5072), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors) (CRAEAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wholesale / Cash-and-Carry Distribution Centers (TLALAEAB)
Keywords
Where Do it Best is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Wayne
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices14 records
Markets served
Do it Best business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cooperative Member Revenue: Do it Best generates revenue through member purchases from its warehouses and drop-ship programs. Members pay for products ordered through the cooperative, with Do it Best leveraging collective buying power to negotiate favorable terms with vendors. Revenue is derived from the margin between wholesale costs and member pricing, supplemented by year-end rebates based on purchase volume.
- Vendor Partnership Fees: Vendors participate in Open Buying Day events ($300 non-refundable donation to Do it Best Foundation required) and pay to access the cooperative's member network through various vendor programs and promotional opportunities.
- Member Rebates and Dividends: The cooperative distributes substantial year-end rebates to member-owners based on their purchases through the co-op. Rebates have surpassed $1 billion in the last decade, with the portion paid in cash regularly representing almost 80% of total member rebate.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Low Up-Front Pricing for Members |
| Usage-based | Weekly | 2% Cash Discount on Warehouse Invoices |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Annual | Year-End Member Rebate Program |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Drop Ship Purchase Advantages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
Do it Best product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Do it Best operates a member-owned wholesale buying cooperative that supplies hardware, lumber, and building materials to more than 8,000 independent retailers in the United States and over 60 countries. Members purchase from eight company-owned distribution centers stocking 65,000+ SKUs at a 97% fill rate, supplemented by drop-ship programs from thousands of vendors, and gain access to exclusive private-label brands, store design services, training, marketing programs, loyalty platforms, and proprietary retail technology such as Retail Pulse, Margin Master, and an AI Innovation Hub.
Product overview
Do it Best is a member-owned hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative offering a comprehensive platform of products and services for independent home improvement retailers. The core offering includes warehouse distribution with 67,000+ SKUs across 8 facilities, complemented by proprietary programs including The Color Bar paint experience, Retail Pulse analytics platform, and DiBTV training video library. Members access exclusive brands (Channellock, Home Impressions, Best Look, Best Comfort, Best Garden), loyalty programs (Best Rewards), and retail services (Signature Store Design, Rental Center, INCOM Supply for commercial/industrial expansion). The True Value brand operates alongside Do it Best following the 2024 acquisition. The cooperative model provides flexible, customizable programs without mandates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Do it Center: Store design concept launched in 1982 that revolutionized the look of hardware stores with bright colors and signage.
- Channellock
- Home Impressions
- Best Look
- Best Comfort
- Best Garden
- The Color Bar
- EasyCare
- Majic
- Shur-Line
- Margin Master
- Inventory & Pricing Dashboard
- ADpak
- Best Rewards
- Retail Pulse
- Signature Store Design
Products and services
- The Color Bar
Quantifiable outcome
- 8-58% sales increase for stores completing Signature Store Design Program
- +11 more outcomes
Companies that use Do it Best
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Do it Best technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability4 records
Feature7 records
Do it Best partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sherwin-WilliamscoreLong-term strategic partnership combining Do it Best Group's brand ownership and retailer relationships with Sherwin-Williams' manufacturing depth and innovation. Do it Best retains ownership of EasyCare and Best Look paint brands while Sherwin-Williams assumes manufacturing and acquired Majic and Shur-Line brands. Exclusivity preserved for Do it Best and True Value retailers.
- EpicorcorePreferred POS vendor partnership offering Eagle and BisTrack systems to Do it Best members. Partnership provides next-level service capabilities for point-of-sale systems essential for running profitable businesses.
- Margin MastercoreSoftware partnership helping members maximize inventory margin potential through analysis, management, and retail price change capabilities. Enables weekly price changes, what-if scenarios, and unlimited support.
- Paint Sundries Solutions (PSS)coreExclusive partnership providing Do it Best members access to thousands of additional paint supply SKUs including regionally popular items and customized assortment planning.
- Nick OffermanminorActor Nick Offerman featured in True Value brand awareness campaign supporting the brand relaunch with national marketing reach.
- SB MowingminorInfluencer partnership as part of True Value 'Sponsor of Grass' campaign extending brand reach through social media and content marketing.
- Synchrony HOMEminorCredit card program allowing members to offer promotional financing. Provides flexibility to choose from extensive financing promotions daily, with marketing and periodic offers funded by Synchrony.
- BIG EAST ConferenceminorTrue Value brand partnership as Official Hardware Sponsor of BIG EAST Conference generating nearly 58 million broadcast impressions for brand awareness.
Scale indicators27 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Do it Best competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ace Hardware: Ace Hardware is the largest direct competitor to Do it Best, operating as a member-owned hardware cooperative with ~5,800+ stores across the US and internationally, similar buying-power model, exclusive brands, and similar target member profile of independent hardware retailers. Both compete head-to-head for new member recruitment and end-consumer brand recognition.
- Orgill: Orgill is the third major US hardware/LBM cooperative and Do it Best's most direct head-to-head competitor in wholesale distribution to independent hardware retailers, lumberyards, and home centers. Orgill operates similar distribution centers, vendor programs, and member services targeting the same SMB independent customer base.
- 84 Lumber: 84 Lumber is a major independent lumber and building materials dealer with 250+ locations primarily serving professional contractors. Do it Best's LBM division directly competes for the same independent lumberyard and pro-contractor customer segment, with several Do it Best board members (Russ Kathrein) having previously led at 84 Lumber.
Broad incumbents
- Builders FirstSource: Builders FirstSource is the largest publicly traded US distributor of lumber and building materials, serving both pro contractors and large homebuilders. It represents a much larger, publicly-capitalized competitor in the LBM space where Do it Best competes via its lumber/building materials dealer members.
- US LBM: US LBM is a major private equity-backed national distributor of building materials serving independent lumberyards and pro contractors. It competes with Do it Best's LBM division for member recruitment and serves overlapping end customers in residential and commercial construction.
- Home Depot: Home Depot is the dominant big-box home improvement retailer (~28% market share) and the primary competitive threat Do it Best's independent members face. Do it Best's core value proposition is helping members compete against Home Depot's scale, supply chain, and marketing reach.
- Lowe's: Lowe's is the second-largest big-box home improvement retailer in the US and a direct competitor to Do it Best member stores for DIY consumers, contractors, and home improvement category spend. The cooperative's positioning is partly defined by enabling independents to compete against Lowe's national footprint.
- W.W. Grainger: Grainger is the largest US distributor of MRO (maintenance, repair, operations) supplies, serving industrial and commercial customers. Do it Best's INCOM Distributor Supply division competes in the same MRO space, with Grainger representing the broad incumbent against which INCOM positions itself for independent distributors.
- Fastenal: Fastenal is a major publicly traded distributor of industrial, safety, and MRO supplies with thousands of US locations. It competes with Do it Best's INCOM industrial/commercial distribution network for the same B2B MRO end-customer segment.
Emerging players
- McMaster-Carr: McMaster-Carr is a privately held industrial supply company known for exceptionally broad SKU coverage and rapid shipping - a benchmark for what Do it Best's distribution technology and inventory ambition aspire to enable for independent industrial/MRO distributors via INCOM.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Do it Best social profiles
Digital presenceDo it Best compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Do it Best financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Do it Best leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Do it Best subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Do it Best funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Do it Best M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Do it Best
What does Do it Best do?
Do it Best operates a member-owned wholesale buying cooperative that supplies hardware, lumber, and building materials to more than 8,000 independent retailers in the United States and over 60 countries. Members purchase from eight company-owned distribution centers stocking 65,000+ SKUs at a 97% fill rate, supplemented by drop-ship programs from thousands of vendors, and gain access to exclusive private-label brands, store design services, training, marketing programs, loyalty platforms, and proprietary retail technology such as Retail Pulse, Margin Master, and an AI Innovation Hub.
Is Do it Best a public or private company?
Do it Best is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Do it Best founded?
Do it Best was founded in 1945. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Do it Best based?
Do it Best is headquartered in Fort Wayne, United States, in the North America region.
How does Do it Best make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cooperative Member Revenue is the primary driver. The others are vendor Partnership Fees and member Rebates and Dividends.
Who are Do it Best's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ace Hardware, Orgill and 84 Lumber. Broad incumbents are Builders FirstSource, US LBM, Home Depot, Lowe's, W.W. Grainger and Fastenal. McMaster-Carr is listed as an emerging player.
Does Do it Best have an API?
No public API is recorded for Do it Best.
What industry is Do it Best in?
Do it Best's product category is Hardware, Lumber & Building Materials Wholesale Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAEAEAG, Construction, Hardware & MRO Supply Clubs (Trades/Contractors), with a secondary code of TLALAEAB, Wholesale / Cash-and-Carry Distribution Centers. Its NAICS code is 423710 and its SIC code is 5072.