Southard Supply

What Southard Supply does

Southard Supply, Inc. (DBA: SSI; formerly SOHOLMO, Inc.) is a family-owned wholesale plumbing supply distributor headquartered at 236 N. Third Street in Columbus, Ohio, operating from a remodeled four-floor downtown structure built in 1880. Founded in July 1931 by Thomas Campbell Southard with $500 in capital, the company is now managed by third and fourth-generation family members and has grown into a multi-million-dollar regional supplier. It maintains a small workforce (11–50 employees) including sales staff with deep trade backgrounds — veterans of wholesale distribution, former field plumbers, and Master Plumbers — who provide consultative counter sales support.

The company stocks more than 25 product lines spanning plumbing fixtures, valves, water heaters, sinks, faucets, drainage products, pumps, regulators, and professional cutting tools. Flagship brands include American Standard, Delta, Moen, Chicago Faucets, Elkay, Ruud, Sloan, Wilkins (Zurn), Charlotte PVC, Ridgid, Lenox, and Zoeller. A retail-style showroom featuring sample faucets, toilets, and sinks has been added to capture residential end-customer demand alongside the wholesale counter operation. Same-day delivery is offered for large contractor orders, supported by an on-site loading dock and warehouse. The business is BBB-accredited through Central Ohio, and recent website copy (mid-to-late 2000s) notes the firm's focus on US-manufactured product inventory (Charlotte PVC, Chicago Faucets, Wilkins Valves, Sloan Flush Valves).

Southard Supply generates revenue through one-time transactional sales of plumbing supplies and fixtures, primarily to professional plumbing contractors (B2B counter sales and delivery) and secondarily to residential end-customers via its showroom and walk-in retail. Pricing is quote-based rather than published, with a 'Monthly Specials' promotional cadence. The company markets minimally — primarily through its own website (southardsupply.com) — and serves a regional Columbus, Ohio geography. It has no parent company, no external investors, no patents, and no disclosed technology platform; revenue, funding history, and customer concentration data are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Southard Supply

Legal name

Southard Supply, Inc.

Website

https://southardsupply.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southard Supply is a family-owned wholesale plumbing supply distributor founded in 1931 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, selling fixtures, valves, faucets, water heaters, and tools to plumbing contractors and residential showroom customers across more than 25 brand lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Plumbing Supplies Distribution

NAICS

Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (4237), Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers (423720), Hardware Merchant Wholesalers (423710)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Plumbing Parts & Supplies Retail (Pipes, Valves, Fittings) (CRAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sinks & Water Filtration/Dispensers Showrooms (CRAIAFAE)

Keywords

• Wholesale plumbing supplies
• Plumbing fixture distribution
• Commercial plumbing valves
• Custom home fixtures
• Plumbing tools and equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Plumbing fixtures and supplies wholesale/retail: Southard Supply generates revenue through the sale of plumbing fixtures, valves, tools, water heaters, and related supplies. Sales occur through counter sales, delivery services, and a showroom. The company serves plumbing contractors and professionals, as well as end customers visiting the showroom.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Southard Supply is a wholesale and retail distributor of plumbing supplies, stocking fixtures, faucets, valves, PVC fittings, water heaters, pumps, water coolers, professional tools, and drain cleaning equipment from brands such as American Standard, Delta, Moen, Chicago Faucets, Sloan, Wilkins, Charlotte, Ruud, Ridgid, and Lenox. The company primarily serves plumbing contractors and professionals through counter sales and large-order delivery, and operates a showroom where residential customers can view and select custom home fixtures and faucets.

Product overview

Southard Supply is a wholesale plumbing supply distributor offering a wide variety of fixtures, valves, tools, and plumbing products. The company stocks over 25 major product lines including American Standard, Delta Faucets, Moen Faucets, Chicago Faucets, Charlotte PVC, Sloan Flush Valves, Wilkins Valves, Ruud Water Heaters, and various tools from Ridgid and Lenox. In addition to product sales, SSI provides delivery services for large orders and operates a showroom for custom home fixtures and faucets. The company also carries Diablo reciprocating saw blades and hole saw kits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plumbing Fixtures
• Faucets
• Plumbing Valves and Flush Valves
• PVC Fittings
• Water Heaters
• Professional Plumbing Tools and Drain Cleaning Equipment
• Pumps
• Water Coolers and Dispensers
• Drainage Products
• Showroom Services
• Delivery Services

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hajoca Corporation: Largest privately-held plumbing distributor in the US with a decentralized network of local branches serving contractors. Closely comparable business model to Southard: family-influenced culture, contractor-focused counter sales, delivery service, and local management autonomy.
• Winsupply: Cooperative of independent plumbing, HVAC, and industrial distributors with local decision-making. Closely mirrors Southard's family/local-ownership model but operates at materially larger scale across dozens of regional branches.
• Johnstone Supply: Wholesale cooperative distributing HVAC and plumbing supplies to contractors through independently operated local branches. Comparable end customer (professional contractors) and product mix (valves, fittings, fixtures), with similar localized distribution model.
• F.W. Webb Company: Privately-held regional plumbing, heating, and industrial supplies distributor in the Northeast US. Very comparable legacy family/wholesale-distributor model serving contractors through counter sales and delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Ferguson Enterprises: Largest US plumbing distributor (NYSE: FERG), serving contractors with a deep SKU catalog, digital ordering, and national footprint. Same customer base and product categories as Southard, but at dramatically larger scale with full omnichannel capabilities.
• WinWholesale: Parent company of over 600 wholesale distributor locations across plumbing, HVAC, industrial, and electrical. Operates a shared-services model similar in spirit to what Southard could grow into, and competes directly in the Ohio contractor-supply market.
• HD Supply: Large industrial MRO and construction-supply distributor (now part of The Home Depot). Overlaps with Southard's professional contractor customer base and offers plumbing-related categories alongside a much broader catalog.
• Grainger: Fortune 500 industrial MRO distributor with significant plumbing-related SKUs and a national digital ordering platform. Competes for the same contractor/MRO customer wallet, though Grainger's primary focus is broader industrial rather than plumbing specialty.

Regional players

• Reece Limited: Australia and New Zealand's largest plumbing and bathroom supplies distributor, publicly listed. Compares as a peer on business model (contractor-focused plumbing wholesale with showrooms) and product mix, though operating in a different geography.

Emerging players

• PlumbingSupply.com: Online direct-to-customer plumbing fixtures and supplies retailer offering nationwide shipping. Represents the digital-native competitive threat that challenges traditional brick-and-mortar plumbing distributors like Southard on convenience and price transparency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southard-supply-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southard Supply