Connor

About Connor

E.J. Connor established Connor Co. in 1936, after moving from Omaha, Nebraska to Peoria, Illinois, and purchased Kinsey & Mahler, Co. (an existing local plumbing wholesaler established on April 29th, 1884). With roots in the industry from his work at A.Y. McDonald, located in Omaha and Dubuque, Iowa, E.J. turned Kinsey and Mahler, Co. into the wholesale distributor known as Connor Co. After struggling through the Depression and World War II, the company continued to prosper and open three more branches by 1952. Throughout the years, E.J. worked closely with his son-in-law Warren P. Collins, who married Susan Connor in 1948. After the passing of E.J. Connor in 1971, Warren became President of Connor Co, understanding the "family mentality." He continued to expand and acquire other wholesalers, turning Connor Co. into a nineteen-branch company. The family tradition continued when Stan Collins, Warren's son, began to work in the warehouse part-time in 1984. After college, he started a full-time position in the Peoria office, learning the company's traditions. Warren opened an HVAC division of Connor Co., named Comfort Supply, in Peoria in 1997, followed by two additional branches in Urbana and Decatur. In 2012 to better serve our customers, we merged our Comfort Supply locations with our Connor Co. divisions in Urbana and Decatur. As Connor Co. entered the 21st Century, Warren Collins, still active in the business, decided to step down as the President of Connor Co. Stan Collins was promoted to president, marking the third-generation family member to operate the business. Stan has expanded Connor Co. into the 26 locations currently spanning Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. Connor Co. continues to be a successful wholesaler in the Plumbing, HVAC, and Industrial PVF industries with a third-generation family member at the reigns.

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