Reader's Wholesale Distributors
Reader's Wholesale Distributors is a fourth-generation, family-owned wholesale distributor of hard-surface flooring and installation supplies serving more than 2,500 flooring dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1935
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Reader's Wholesale Distributors does
Reader's Wholesale Distributors, LTD is a fourth-generation, family-owned wholesale distributor of hard-surface flooring and installation supplies headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1935 by Hymen Reader as a Crosley Appliances distributorship, the company pivoted into flooring distribution in 1945 when it secured the Armstrong Cork Company distributorship and has remained under continuous Burke-family ownership through Leonard Burke (president 1964), Lucky Burke (president 1986), and Adam Burke (president 2011). Reader's purchases flooring products from approximately 30 manufacturer partners — including Armstrong Flooring, AHF Products, Tarkett, Metroflor, and Southern Traditions — and resells them to a network of more than 2,500 flooring dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The company's product portfolio is organized into commercial and residential categories, encompassing hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT (luxury vinyl tile), rubber flooring, waterproof flooring, and a full range of installation supplies (adhesives, underlayment, and tools) sourced from partners such as Ardex, Mapei, Titebond, Schönox, and Spraylock. Underlying operations are supported by an in-house e-commerce portal that provides registered dealers with 24/7 stock checking, order placement, order history, and downloadable pricing, in addition to a direct field sales team and five physical locations — a 120,000+ sq ft Houston warehouse/complex plus four cross-dock pickup facilities operated through third-party logistics partners in San Antonio, Pflugerville (Austin), Elmwood (New Orleans), and Jackson, Mississippi.
Reader's operates a B2B wholesale distribution model, generating revenue through resale margins on flooring products to dealer accounts. Pricing is account-based and not publicly disclosed; new dealers must register and request login credentials before accessing the e-commerce portal. The company self-identifies as one of the 20 largest flooring distributors in North America, employs 51-100 people, and has remained privately held without disclosed outside investment. The core technology stack is operational (ERP-style ordering and inventory management) rather than AI-driven, and there is no public product roadmap, patent portfolio, or platform-architecture differentiation beyond the proprietary dealer ordering portal.
Reader's Wholesale Distributors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Reader's Wholesale Distributors
- Legal name
- Reader's Wholesale Distributors, LTD
- Website
- https://readerswholesale.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1935
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Reader's Wholesale Distributors is a fourth-generation, family-owned wholesale distributor of hard-surface flooring and installation supplies serving more than 2,500 flooring dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Reader's Wholesale Distributors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Flooring Distribution
- NAICS
- Furniture Merchant Wholesalers (42321)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Flooring (Carpet, Tile, Wood, Laminate) Distribution (CRAOAFAE)
Keywords
Where Reader's Wholesale Distributors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Reader's Wholesale Distributors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Wholesale Distribution: Reader's purchases flooring products from manufacturers (Armstrong, AHF Products, Southern Traditions, Metroflor, Tarkett, and others) and resells/distributes to a network of 2,500+ flooring dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Revenue generated through wholesale margins on product sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Dealer account pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Reader's Wholesale Distributors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Reader's Wholesale Distributors purchases flooring products (hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT, commercial floor and wall coverings) and installation supplies from 30+ manufacturer brand partners and resells them at wholesale to a network of 2,500+ flooring dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Distribution is delivered through direct sales, a 24/7 e-commerce ordering portal, and multiple cross-dock pickup facilities.
Product overview
Reader's Wholesale Distributors operates as a flooring wholesale distributor offering a dual-product portfolio organized into Commercial and Residential categories. The Commercial Flooring line provides products and installation supplies for commercial applications including healthcare, education, and hospitality. The Residential Flooring line includes hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, and LVT products along with installation supplies. Both categories draw from a network of manufacturer brand partners (including Armstrong Flooring, AHF Products, Metroflor, Southern Traditions, Tarkett, Hartco, and others). The company supplements its product distribution with an E-Commerce Portal that enables 24/7 online ordering, stock checking, order tracking, and pricing downloads for registered dealer customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Flooring Flooring products and installation supplies for all phases of commercial projects, including applications for healthcare, education, hospitality, multi-family housing, and other commercial settings. Distributed wholesale to flooring dealers.
- Residential Flooring Complete residential flooring product line including hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, and LVT (luxury vinyl tile), along with installation supplies for single-family homes and multi-family applications. Distributed wholesale to flooring dealers.
- E-Commerce Portal Online ordering platform enabling registered flooring dealers to check stock, place orders, view order history, and download current pricing 24 hours a day. Requires account registration via the company account request form.
Companies that use Reader's Wholesale Distributors
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Reader's Wholesale Distributors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Reader's Wholesale Distributors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Armstrong Cork Company (Armstrong Flooring)coreFlagship partnership established in 1945 when Jim Binz (future president of Armstrong Cork Company) offered Reader's the Armstrong distributorship. Reader's became the distributor for the largest manufacturer of hard-surface floor and wall coverings. This remains a key strategic partnership spanning nearly 80 years.
- Southern Traditions FlooringcoreProduct distribution partnership for Southern Traditions hardwood, laminate, waterproof, Bella Cera, True Touch, Madera, and LM product lines.
- Metroflor CorporationcoreDistribution partnership for Metroflor flooring products including Provident and Artistek collections.
- AHF ProductscoreDistribution partnership for AHF flooring products including Hartco brand.
- TarkettcoreDistribution partnership for Tarkett commercial and residential flooring products including Tarkett Home and Johnsonite products.
- EarthwerksminorDistribution partnership for Earthwerks flooring products.
- Ardex AmericasminorDistribution partnership for Ardex installation supplies and underlayment products.
- Titebond (Franklin International)minorDistribution partnership for Titebond flooring adhesives and installation products.
- MapeiminorDistribution partnership for Mapei installation supplies and products.
- Audacity FlooringminorDistribution partnership for Audacity flooring products.
- Capella FloorsminorDistribution partnership for Capella flooring products.
- Inhaus SurfacesminorDistribution partnership for Inhaus surfaces flooring products.
- RubberlogixminorDistribution partnership for Rubberlogix rubber flooring products.
- Protect All FlooringminorDistribution partnership for Protect All flooring products.
- MP Global ProductsminorDistribution partnership for MP Global underlayment products.
- Eternity UnderlaymentminorDistribution partnership for Eternity premium underlayment products.
- Tego SystemsminorDistribution partnership for Tego flooring products.
- SchönoxminorDistribution partnership for Schönox installation products.
- SpraylockminorDistribution partnership for Spraylock flooring installation products.
- Encircle ProductsminorDistribution partnership for Encircle Products commercial flooring solutions.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Reader's Wholesale Distributors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Reader's Wholesale Distributors social profiles
Digital presenceReader's Wholesale Distributors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Reader's Wholesale Distributors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Reader's Wholesale Distributors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Reader's Wholesale Distributors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Reader's Wholesale Distributors
What does Reader's Wholesale Distributors do?
Reader's Wholesale Distributors purchases flooring products (hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT, commercial floor and wall coverings) and installation supplies from 30+ manufacturer brand partners and resells them at wholesale to a network of 2,500+ flooring dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Distribution is delivered through direct sales, a 24/7 e-commerce ordering portal, and multiple cross-dock pickup facilities.
Is Reader's Wholesale Distributors a public or private company?
Reader's Wholesale Distributors is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Reader's Wholesale Distributors founded?
Reader's Wholesale Distributors was founded in 1935. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Reader's Wholesale Distributors based?
Reader's Wholesale Distributors is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Reader's Wholesale Distributors make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Distribution.
Does Reader's Wholesale Distributors have an API?
No public API is recorded for Reader's Wholesale Distributors.
What industry is Reader's Wholesale Distributors in?
Reader's Wholesale Distributors's product category is Wholesale Flooring Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAFAE, Flooring (Carpet, Tile, Wood, Laminate) Distribution. Its NAICS code is 42321 and its SIC code is 5020.