Walter A. Wood celebrates 100 years
Industrial distributor Walter A. Wood Supply Company is celebrating its 100th year of continuous operation in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The company traces its history to the early 1900s, when Walter A. Wood, a civil engineer, came to the area to help lay out the Chicamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. When Wood's work was done, friends persuaded him to stay in the area, so he started doing business in 1913 as a feed and seed store to service the horse cavalry at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.
The company has evolved into the largest locally owned industrial supply company in the tri-state area serving industry, contractors and municipalities with industrial MRO and PVF, safety, waterworks and pumps. Walter A. Wood also holds the distinction of being one of the oldest independently owned businesses in Chattanooga with branches in Smyrna, Tenn. and Columbus, Miss.
The company was purchased from Wood's heirs in 1938 by James Gardner and continues to be owned and operated by his heirs. David Henry, his grandson, serves as president and CEO.
“As we celebrate our 100th year in business we are proud of our past and are excited about our future. There are a lot of reasons that we have been successful for so long but the most important is the people in our industry. Both our employees and our customers are the driving force for our success. It is a great honor to work in a company that supports the people and industry of America’s manufacturing,” Henry said.
The company joined the ISD division of Affiliated Distributors as a charter member in 1995 and the PVF division in 1996. "This membership has built stronger relationships with long time suppliers and added new world class vendors to our product offering," according to a company press release. The company is a member of the Industrial Supply Association and was actively involved in the old Southern Industrial Distributors Association (SIDA).
April 1 was the actual incorporation date, however, special events, special sales and celebrations will be held throughout 2013. The highlight of the year will occur on May 8 when the Southeast Industrial and Safety Show celebrates Walter A. Wood’s 100th anniversary. The event will be held at the 1st Tennessee Pavilion in Chattanooga.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Joyce Lansdale and Vallen. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and David Kahle, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
