Fortin's Supply

What Fortin's Supply does

Fortin's Supply Ltd. is a privately held, family-owned automotive and industrial parts distributor founded in 1946 in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The company sells auto parts, paint and body supplies, industrial supplies, janitorial supplies, and agricultural supplies through four retail branches (Chilliwack, Vedder, Hope, Abbotsford), two Home Hardware franchise locations, four Canadian warehouses (including Langley and Calgary), and a proprietary e-commerce platform powered by SiteAlive Inc. The platform integrates third-party tools — NexPart, AutoECat, and Cylink — to provide online parts lookup, cross-reference search, and live stock visibility across thousands of SKUs from hundreds of brands.

The business operates a multi-channel model combining walk-in retail, online ordering, phone/email sales, and a wholesale business-account program. Business customers apply for Cash or Charge accounts (processed in 5–10 business days) and receive local delivery, site surveys, and managed inventory. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; payment processing for wholesale invoicing is handled through Moneris via SubmitPaymentOnline. Customer segments are horizontal, spanning automotive repair shops, dealerships, industrial facilities, body shops, janitorial buyers, and farms.

Fortin's has been a 40+ year member of a Canadian-owned auto/industrial purchasing co-operative, which supplies aggregated purchasing power across hundreds of brands. The Home Hardware franchise relationship (Vedder since 2004, Airport Road since 2014) extends retail reach within British Columbia. Operating geographies are limited to British Columbia and Alberta, with no disclosed international footprint. Revenue, headcount, and management team details are not publicly disclosed; the company does not have any identified parent entity, institutional investors, or recent M&A activity.

Name

Fortin's Supply

Legal name

Fortin's Supply Ltd.

Website

https://fortins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive and industrial parts distribution

NAICS

Home Centers (444110), Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers (444), General Warehousing and Storage (493110), Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42382)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts (5013), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Wholesale Distribution Centers (Dry DCs) (TLALAAAD)

Keywords

• Automotive parts distribution
• Industrial supply retailer
• Wholesale parts supplier
• Online parts catalog
• Home hardware retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Chilliwack

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Direct sales of automotive, industrial, paint and body, janitorial, and agricultural supplies through walk-in stores and online platform
2. Wholesale/Business Accounts: Account-based sales to business customers with delivery services and inventory management for some wholesale customers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fortin's Supply distributes automotive, industrial, paint and body, janitorial, and agricultural parts and supplies from hundreds of brands through retail storefronts, Home Hardware franchise locations, and an e-commerce platform. The company operates four Canadian warehouses including local facilities in Langley and Calgary. For business customers, it offers Cash or Charge accounts with local delivery, site surveys, and inventory management services.

Product overview

Fortin's Supply is a locally owned and operated automotive/industrial supply company founded in 1946. The company operates a unified e-commerce platform (Fortin's Supply Online Store) that integrates with third-party platforms like NexPart and AutoECat. The product portfolio includes Auto Parts, Paint and Body Supplies, Industrial Supplies, Janitorial Supplies, and Agricultural Supplies. The company also operates Home Hardware retail divisions as a sub-brand. The online platform enables customers to search thousands of part numbers from hundreds of brands, view live inventory, use cross references, and access built-in search tools. The company maintains warehouses in Langley and Calgary, serving customers across British Columbia and Alberta.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Parts Automotive parts and supplies sold through Fortin's Supply retail storefronts and the e-commerce platform to repair shops, dealerships, and individual vehicle owners.
• Paint and Body Supplies Automotive paint, body shop supplies, and refinishing products for auto body shops, paint facilities, and individual users.
• Industrial Supplies Industrial products, equipment maintenance supplies, and safety products for manufacturing and industrial facilities.
• Janitorial Supplies Cleaning supplies, janitorial equipment, and consumables for facilities management and cleaning services.
• Agricultural Supplies Agricultural products, farm equipment parts, and related supplies for the farming community.
• Fortin's Supply Online Store (E-commerce Platform) Online store and parts catalog empowering customers to search thousands of part numbers from hundreds of brands, view live stock, use cross references, and access built-in search tools. Supports retail shopping and business account ordering through select-your-location branch experience.
• Fortin's Home Hardware Retail Division Home improvement retail franchise serving consumers under the Home Hardware brand, with Vedder (2004) and Airport Road (2014) locations.
• Business Account Program Cash or Charge business accounts for wholesale customers, available through a downloadable PDF application with 5-10 business day processing and monthly billing. Includes local delivery, site surveys, and inventory management for qualifying wholesale accounts.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Home Hardware Stores LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1964Founded in 1964, Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada's largest Dealer-owned and operated home improvement retailer. Fortin's Home Hardware opened in Vedder in 2004 and at Airport Road in 2014, extending Fortin's reach through the Home Hardware franchise network.
• Canadian Auto/Industrial Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFortin's has been a member of this Canadian owned auto/industrial co-operative for over 40 years, providing purchasing power, brand access, and industry support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Tire Corporation: Iconic Canadian general merchandise retailer with a major automotive parts and accessories division across its stores and banners (PartSource, Mark's). Overlaps with Fortin's automotive and home improvement categories but serves a much broader product portfolio.
• AutoZone, Inc. Largest US-based auto parts retailer with a growing Canadian presence; offers a similar retail/DIY auto parts value proposition, but at vastly greater scale and with a predominantly US footprint.
• Home Depot of Canada: National big-box home improvement retailer that overlaps with Fortin's Home Hardware division and some industrial/contractor customer segments. Competes primarily on selection and price rather than the localized service Fortin's offers.

Direct peers

• NAPA Auto Parts (UAP Inc.): Canada's largest distribution network of automotive replacement parts, accessories, and supplies, with hundreds of stores nationwide. Directly comparable on the automotive parts wholesale and retail motion, with overlapping relationships to repair shops.
• Acklands-Grainger: Canada's largest industrial distributor (a Grainger subsidiary), serving industrial and commercial customers with MRO supplies, equipment, and inventory management. Comparable on the industrial supplies side of Fortin's business, including managed inventory offerings.
• Lordco Parts Ltd. BC-headquartered Canadian automotive parts retailer with a comparable multi-branch retail model serving Western Canada. Directly comparable in product mix (auto parts, paint & body, industrial) and customer base (DIY consumers, repair shops, fleets).
• Princess Auto Ltd. Canadian family-owned retailer of automotive, industrial, and farm equipment with a multi-channel store-and-online model. Highly comparable product breadth and customer segments, though operating at significantly larger scale across more provinces.

Others

• Home Hardware Stores Limited: Fortin's franchisor and operating partner for the Home Hardware retail division; while not a direct competitor in auto/industrial, it is the brand and supply infrastructure behind the Home Hardware revenue stream at Fortin's Vedder and Airport Road locations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fortinsengines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fortins-supply

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Fortin's Supply