Midway Supply also operated branches in the southern Indiana communities of Bedford, Lawrenceburg, Madison and Scottsburg. Since the acquisition it has reopened as Midway Winnelson Co.
Midway Supply Corp. opened in 1954 and was purchased by James (Jim) Johnson in 1978. The company grew steadily, with 2004 annual sales reaching $11 million. Johnson previously served as president of the Central Supply Association and was a national director of the American Supply Association.
“Jim and Peggy Johnson know the wholesaling business as well as anybody in our industry, and have built a very successful company,” Rick Schwartz, WinWholesale president and CEO, said in a statement. “The fact that they were willing to join the Win group of companies speaks highly of the opportunities WinWholesale offers companies with an interest in finding a bigger, stronger partner.”
The decision to sell Midway Supply to WinWholesale was based primarily on WinWholesale's business model, Johnson said in a statement..
“Midway Supply was a 51-year old company that had developed a very strong market presence with loyal customers, great vendors and a group of very dedicated and capable employees,” he noted. “The WinWholesale group of companies gives all of these stakeholders the opportunity to continue and offers partial ownership to some of Midway's people.”
WinWholesale was ranked No. 3 in SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES' Premier 150 listing of wholesalers for 2005 (based on 2004 sales) and was named 2004 Wholesaler of the Year by the magazine.
