Reader's Wholesale Distributors

What Reader's Wholesale Distributors does

Reader's Wholesale Distributors, LTD is a privately held, family-owned wholesale flooring distributor founded in 1935 by Hymen Reader in Houston, Texas. The company distributes residential flooring products (hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT) and commercial flooring products (for healthcare, education, hospitality, and multi-family applications), along with installation supplies such as adhesives, underlayments, and surface preparation materials. It serves over 2,500 floor covering dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi through a combination of direct sales engagement and a 24/7 e-commerce portal powered by Kerridge Commercial Systems' DNav Online platform. Reader's is ranked among the 20 largest flooring distributors in North America and has held the Armstrong Flooring distributorship continuously since 1945, alongside a broader portfolio that includes Tarkett, AHF Products, Metroflor, Southern Traditions, and others.

The company's operations are anchored by a Houston headquarters and warehouse of approximately 120,000 sq ft (80,000 sq ft base plus a 40,000 sq ft addition completed in June 1998), supplemented by a regional cross-dock distribution network operated through third-party logistics partners in Austin/Pflugerville, San Antonio, New Orleans, and Jackson. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires dealer account registration; revenue is generated on a transactional wholesale basis with customers purchasing products for resale and installation. There are no proprietary technology products, AI/ML capabilities, apps, or APIs disclosed; the entire digital stack is delivered via the third-party Kerridge DNav platform.

The business has been operated under the Reader-Burke family across four generations: founder Hymen Reader, his son-in-law Leonard Burke (president from 1964), grandson Lucky Burke (president from 1986, now Chairman), and great-grandson Adam Burke (president since 2011). The company remains privately owned with no external investors, parent company, public filings, or funding rounds disclosed. Revenue figures are not publicly available, and headcount is reported in the 51-100 range. Marketing is conducted primarily through the company website, email newsletter sign-ups, and partner brand displays rather than through paid acquisition channels.

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 flooring distributor founded in 1935 in Houston, serving over 2,500 floor covering dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi with residential and commercial flooring products plus installation supplies via direct sales and a 24/7 e-commerce portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Flooring Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)

akta.pro primary industry

Flooring (Carpet, Tile, Wood, Laminate) Distribution (CRAOAFAE)

Keywords

• Wholesale flooring distribution
• Residential flooring products
• Commercial flooring products
• Floor covering dealers
• Flooring installation supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Flooring Distribution: Reader's Wholesale Distributors generates revenue through wholesale distribution of flooring products including hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT (luxury vinyl tile), and installation supplies to floor covering dealers. They serve both residential and commercial markets.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Reader's Wholesale Distributors is a wholesale distributor of residential and commercial flooring products, including hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT (luxury vinyl tile), and installation supplies. The company serves more than 2,500 floor covering dealers across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi through a regional cross-dock distribution network and a 24/7 e-commerce ordering portal.

Product overview

Reader's Wholesale Distributors operates as a flooring products distributor offering two primary product lines: Residential and Commercial flooring. Residential products include hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile), and installation supplies for single-family and multi-family homes. Commercial products serve healthcare, education, hospitality, and other commercial sectors. The company also provides an E-Commerce Ordering Portal as an add-on service for registered customers to check stock, place orders, and access pricing. All products are sourced from manufacturer partners including Armstrong Flooring, AHF Products, Metroflor, Southern Traditions Flooring, Tarkett, Capella Floors, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Flooring Products Complete offering of residential flooring including hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile), and installation supplies for single-family homes and multi-family residential applications. Sold wholesale to floor covering dealers.
• Commercial Flooring Products Flooring products and installation supplies for all phases of commercial projects, including healthcare, education, hospitality, and other commercial applications. Sold wholesale to floor covering dealers and contractors.
• Flooring Installation Supplies Adhesives, underlayment, surface preparation products, and other installation materials compatible with hardwood, laminate, LVT, and other flooring types. Sold wholesale alongside flooring products to dealers and contractors.
• E-Commerce Ordering Portal

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Armstrong FlooringcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's Wholesale distributes Armstrong Flooring products, including both residential and commercial lines. Armstrong is one of the largest manufacturers of hard-surface floor and wall coverings. Reader's has held the Armstrong distributorship since 1945.
• TarkettcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Tarkett commercial flooring products, Tarkett Home residential products, and Johnsonite commercial products. Tarkett is a major global flooring manufacturer.
• AHF ProductscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes AHF Products flooring including Hartco and other AHF brands for both residential and commercial applications.
• MetroflorsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Metroflor products including Artistek and Provident collections, featuring LVT and other resilient flooring options.
• Southern Traditions FlooringcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Southern Traditions Flooring products including Bella Cera waterproof, True Touch, LM hardwood, Madera hardwood, and other Southern Traditions product lines.
• Ardex AmericassecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Ardex Americas installation products used for floor preparation and installation in commercial and residential projects.
• Audacity FlooringsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Audacity Flooring products for residential applications, featured on both commercial and residential product pages.
• MP Global ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes MP Global underlayment products used in flooring installation applications.
• EarthwerksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Earthwerks flooring products, a manufacturer known for wood and stone-look LVT and plank products.
• TitebondsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Titebond flooring products including adhesives and installation solutions for professional flooring contractors.
• Capella FloorssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Capella Floors residential hardwood and flooring products.
• Inhaus SurfacessecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Inhaus Surfaces laminate and LVT flooring products for residential applications.
• MapeiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Mapei installation products including adhesives, grouts, and surface preparation solutions for flooring projects.
• Tego SystemsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Tego Systems commercial flooring products.
• RubberLogixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes RubberLogix rubber flooring products for commercial applications.
• Protect All FlooringminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Protect All Flooring underlayment and protective products.
• Encircle ProductsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Encircle Products for residential flooring applications.
• Eternity UnderlaymentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes Eternity Underlayment premium underlayment products for flooring installation.
• SprayLockminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReader's distributes SprayLock installation products for flooring applications.
• Kerridge Commercial SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationReader's Wholesale Distributors uses Kerridge Commercial Systems DNav Online software for their e-commerce portal and ordering system. This is the underlying technology platform powering their online business operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• ABC Supply Co. Largest wholesale distributor of roofing, siding, and building products in North America. Comparable to Reader's through regional multi-state wholesale distribution to contractors, though at far larger scale and broader product breadth.
• Foundation Building Materials: Specialty distributor of building products including interior and exterior categories, with regional branch networks. Comparable to Reader's through the same contractor-channel wholesale model and regional density strategy.
• L&W Supply: Wholesale distributor of building materials including drywall, ceilings, steel framing, and flooring accessories serving professional contractors. Operates regional distribution centers similar to Reader's cross-dock model and shares the contractor-channel distribution approach.
• Lansing Building Products: National wholesale distributor of exterior building products (siding, windows, roofing, flooring accessories) serving contractors and dealers. Comparable to Reader's in business model: regional warehousing, contractor-channel focus, and multi-state coverage.
• SRS Distribution: National roofing and building products distributor acquired by The Home Depot in 2018. Directly comparable to Reader's as a multi-state wholesale distributor serving a similar contractor and dealer base with overlapping product categories (building products, with flooring/roofing adjacency).

Broad incumbents

• Builders FirstSource: Largest U.S. supplier of building products to professional home builders, including flooring. Comparable to Reader's as a building-products distributor serving contractors at scale, but operates much broader national footprint and product mix.
• Mohawk Industries: World's largest flooring manufacturer with branded and private-label offerings across all flooring categories. Key upstream supplier to Reader's distribution model; vertically integrated into retail/trade channels, making it both a partner and potential competitor to wholesale distributors.
• Shaw Industries Group: Major flooring manufacturer (carpet, hardwood, LVT, tile) operating vertically integrated distribution. Comparable to Reader's at the supply-chain level; competing manufacturer-distributors could shift share away from independent distributors like Reader's over time.

Regional players

• Boisset's Flooring America: Operates regional Flooring America franchise locations across Texas. Comparable to Reader's as a flooring channel participant, though franchise-retail rather than wholesale; both serve end-dealers/installers in overlapping Gulf Coast geographies.

Emerging players

• Floor & Decor Outlets of America: Specialty big-box flooring retailer serving both pros and consumers in multiple U.S. regions. Comparable to Reader's adjacent in flooring channel structure; could disintermediate traditional dealer wholesale relationships via direct-to-pro consumer channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/readers-wholesale-distributors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Reader's Wholesale Distributors