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History
Back in the 1950’s
with the advent of ceramic tile thin-set, and ceramic tile mastics, a
young Bob McCabe, working for his father and anticipating the popularity
of ceramic tile and easier installation methods, decided to begin wholesaling
ceramic tile. He began in the Lincoln, Nebraska market under the name
of Midwest Tile Supply. By 1972 Bob doubled the companies’ size
by opening a wholesale warehouse in Omaha, Nebraska. With only one real
competitor in the Omaha market things went well, so by 1982 Bob opened
another location in Des Moines, Iowa.
However, with the
popularity of ceramic tile growing many competitors soon followed. By
1990 there were many competitors in the Omaha and Des Moines markets.
Bob had since sold the business to two of his four sons: John and Pat.
They decided the proper action was to diversify the existing product lines
by adding marble and granite tile and slabs to their inventories. As luck
would have it, at about the same time the demand for marble and granite
began to pick up, especially in the Midwest.
Things went well for the brothers, mostly through hard work, a little
luck, and a lot of prayer, and by 1997 Pat and John were inviting their
younger brother Paul to open a wholesale facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The northern plains proved to be a good move and in 1999 the brothers
opened another location in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With five locations and
a growing reputation for a broad inventory, quality material, and fair
pricing, the company, now Midwest Tile, Marble and Granite, Inc. accepted
an opportunity to further expand to Houston, Texas.
Hard work, luck, prayer,
good business fundamentals and a growing reputation now afforded the company
to recruit a fourth brother, Joe, to the business so they could open up
another location in 2003 in Austin, Texas. In 2004 the Company continued
its growth with new stores in St. Louis, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In 2005 the company
opened a tenth facility in Bentonville, Arkansas. It also shares a facility
in South America to provide better service for its customers.
Now, with many U.S. locations, an expanding customer base with clients
in over 28 states, a fully diversified inventory and good vendor relations
around the world, Midwest Tile, Marble and Granite, Inc. is in a strong
position to compete in its markets for years to come.
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