Root Brothers

What Root Brothers does

Root Brothers Manufacturing & Supply Company is a fourth-generation, family-owned industrial MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) distributor founded in 1923 near Chicago's Pullman district and now headquartered in Hammond, Indiana. The company distributes products from more than 2,500 manufacturers, holding over 240,000 SKUs across 160,000+ sq. ft. of warehouse space in Chicago, Dallas, Hammond, and Las Vegas. Its core offering is one-stop industrial supply distribution with Net 30 commercial terms, augmented by value-added services such as kitting and integrated supply-chain solutions.

The business is organized into specialty departments by vertical — Utility, Telecommunications, Broadband, AT&T, Railroad, Municipal, Industrial Sales, and City of Chicago — each with dedicated inside or outside account managers handling quoting, ordering, and emergency fulfillment. Customers include major enterprises and government entities such as Comcast, AT&T, the City of Chicago, Integrys Energy Group, Waste Management, and Premier Waste and Recycling. The company is a certified Service Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (SDV-DOBE) through the National Veteran Business Development Council and runs a formalized WBE/MBE diversity-supplier program.

Revenue is generated through quote-based product sales and value-added services with no public pricing; revenue and headcount figures are not disclosed. There are no software products, APIs, or AI capabilities described — the technology stack is limited to conventional supply-chain and warehouse-management operations. The firm is privately held by the Root family, with no institutional investors, no funding rounds, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity on record.

Name

Root Brothers

Legal name

Root Brothers Manufacturing & Supply Company

Website

https://rootbrothers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Root Brothers is a fourth-generation, family-owned MRO industrial distributor founded in 1923, serving utility, telecom, municipal, railroad, and industrial customers across the U.S. from four regional warehouses holding 240,000+ SKUs from 2,500+ manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MRO Product Distribution: Root Brothers distributes industrial supplies, tools, equipment, and MRO products from over 2,500 manufacturers. Revenue is generated through product sales at competitive pricing with standard payment terms of Net 30. The company holds over 240,000 SKUs in stock across regional warehouse locations for immediate shipment.
2. Value-Added Services: Beyond product distribution, Root Brothers provides kitting and integrated solutions as value-added services. These services help customers reduce costs and gain operational efficiency by consolidating supply needs through a single distributor partner.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Root Brothers distributes industrial supplies, tools, equipment, and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) products from more than 2,500 manufacturers, holding over 240,000 SKUs in stock across four regional warehouses (Chicago, Dallas, Hammond, Las Vegas). Beyond product distribution, the company provides value-added services including kitting and integrated supply solutions to help customers reduce procurement complexity and costs.

Product overview

Root Brothers Manufacturing & Supply Company is an industrial distribution company, not a software product company. It offers MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) solutions as a single unified service offering. The company distributes products from more than 2,500 manufacturers, providing industrial equipment, supplies, and supply chain management solutions across specialty departments including Utility, Telecommunications, Broadband, AT&T, Railroad, Municipal, Industrial Sales, and City of Chicago. Value-added services include kitting and integrated solutions. The company operates four warehouse facilities (Chicago, Dallas, Hammond, and Las Vegas) holding over 240,000 SKUs and more than 160,000 sq ft of space. No distinct branded software products, modules, or platforms were identified in the source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MRO Product Distribution
• Value-Added Kitting Services
• Specialty Department Procurement Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 240,000 SKUs available for immediate shipment from in-stock inventory
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Midwest Shelter for Homeless VeteranscoreOthersRoot Brothers is a sponsor of the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, a non-profit agency providing housing, supportive services, and community outreach to homeless and at-risk veterans and their families. The partnership reflects the company's commitment to supporting American veterans.
• Sun FoundationcoreOthersRoot Brothers has been an exceptional supporter of The Sun Foundation for over 50 years. The foundation advances arts and environmental sciences in the community through innovative programs, services, and research for underserved groups, schools, artists, and arts organizations.
• Roseland Little League & Pullman Community CenterminorOthersRoot Brothers sponsors the Roseland Little League & Pullman Community Center, supporting youth sports programs that develop athletic skills, build character, and foster teamwork in children.
• Munster Pop WarnerminorOthersRoot Brothers sponsors Munster Pop Warner, which enables young people to benefit from team sports in a structured environment, teaching fundamental values and skills for life while emphasizing academic success.
• Hessville Little LeagueminorOthersRoot Brothers sponsors and supports Hessville Little League, a little league for children ages 4-16 from the city of Hammond.
• Hammond SportsplexminorOthersRoot Brothers is a proud sponsor of Hammond Sportsplex, a cutting-edge 135,000 square foot facility with six basketball courts, twelve volleyball courts, and two indoor soccer fields.
• Festival of the LakesminorOthersRoot Brothers is a Silver sponsor of this annual 5-day community festival bringing together families from the Chicagoland area.
• Crown Point Christian School Robotics TeamminorOthersRoot Brothers sponsors the Crown Point Christian School Robotics Team, fostering innovation, critical thinking, and teamwork among students in STEM fields.
• Challenger Learning CenterminorOthersRoot Brothers sponsors the Challenger Learning Center, promoting innovative programs in Earth and space sciences to inspire students and foster long-term interest in STEM fields.
• Boone Grove Dance TeamminorOthersRoot Brothers sponsors the Boone Grove Dance Team, supporting passion for dance and artistic expression while fostering creativity, discipline, and teamwork.
• Hammond Fire DepartmentminorOthersRoot Brothers is a proud financial sponsor of the annual Hammond Fire Department Fire Prevention Open House, supporting education and fire prevention efforts in the community.
• WBE and MBE Certified Diversity PartnerscoreOthersA large portion of Root Brothers' spending is done with WBE (Women-Owned Business Enterprise) and MBE (Minority-Owned Business Enterprise) certified diversity partners. The company also has mentoring programs to help these partners expand their businesses.
• National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC)coreOthersRoot Brothers is certified by NVBDC as a Service Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (SDV-DOBE). This certification enables the company to participate in veteran procurement programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fastenal: Fastenal operates an industrial/MRO distribution and vending network with on-site bin and vending solutions for industrial customers — directly comparable to Root Brothers' industrial and municipal MRO offering with embedded supply chain services.
• McMaster-Carr: McMaster-Carr is a privately held catalog-based industrial supply distributor with an exceptionally broad SKU range — directly comparable to Root Brothers' breadth-driven single-source MRO procurement value proposition.
• W.W. Grainger: Grainger is the dominant U.S. broadline MRO distributor serving industrial, utility and government buyers with 240,000+ SKUs and a national branch network — the most direct large-scale comparable to Root Brothers' MRO distribution model.
• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC is a national metalworking and MRO distributor, with deep strength in fasteners and industrial supplies — directly comparable to Root Brothers' fastener-backed industrial/MRO mix and similar customer profile.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Applied is a leading distributor of bearings, fluid power, power transmission and industrial MRO supplies — a particularly close peer given Root Brothers' Municipal/Industrial Sales Manager with a fastener-industry background and industrial MRO positioning.

Broad incumbents

• WESCO International: WESCO is a broad-line electrical, communications and utility distributor — overlapping with Root Brothers' utility, broadband and telecom verticals but operating at much larger scale and with a different center of gravity.
• HD Supply (Home Depot Pro): HD Supply distributes MRO and facilities-maintenance supplies to municipalities and industrial customers; an incumbent peer with overlap on Root Brothers' municipal and industrial customer base but a broader portfolio and national scale.
• Rexel USA: Rexel distributes electrical, lighting and data-communications products to industrial, commercial and utility customers — overlapping with Root Brothers' utility/telecom/broadband customer verticals at a much larger global scale.

Regional players

• Border States Electric: Border States is a regional electrical distributor serving utility and contractor customers across the U.S. — comparable to Root Brothers' utility focus and multi-state branch model, but concentrated in electrical versus Root Brothers' broader industrial MRO.
• Crescent Electric Supply Company: Crescent is a Midwest-focused electrical and industrial distributor — a strong regional comparable in geography and customer mix, particularly to Root Brothers' utility and industrial accounts across Illinois, Indiana and the broader Midwest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/root.brothers

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Root Brothers