About Us
E.J. Connor established Connor Co. in 1936, after moving from Omaha, Nebraska to Peoria, Illinois to buy Kinsey & Mahler, Co. (a local plumbing wholesaler). 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 Connor Co. After struggling though the Depression and World War II, the company continued to prosper and was able to 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, with an understanding of 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 began a full-time position in the Peoria office learning the traditions of the company. 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 and this marked the third generation family member to operate the business. Stan has expanded Connor Co. into the 26 locations that it is currently, spanning Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. With a third generation family member at the reigns, Connor Co. continues to be a successful wholesaler in the Plumbing, HVAC and Industrial PVF industries.
An Open Letter To Our Customers...
Connor Co., established in 1936, is a family owned and operated business. Family mentality is part of Connor Co. and all our employees. Over the past 85 years, our business has expanded and our customer relationships have grown. With the support of our vendors, Connor Co. has been able to enhance and enjoy these years with our customers.
Connor Co. has a deep and proud tradition within the Plumbing, HVAC, and Industrial PVF industries, which goes into to how we work with all of our valued customers.
With the support of our dedicated employees and loyal customers Connor Co. has been able to grow into the great company that it is today. Connor Co. will continue the proud family tradition of providing our industries with the "Best Products…Best Prices…Best Service" for many more years to come.
-Stan Collins, President