COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 444190

Other Building Material Dealers

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

12companies1883–1997founding years12still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedLanoga CorporationFoundedLanoga Corporation
1883
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedGraybar Electric Company, Inc.FoundedGraybar Electric Company, Inc.
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedElectrocomponents PLCFoundedElectrocomponents PLC
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedSeigle's Home and Building Centers, Inc.FoundedSeigle's Home and Building Centers, Inc.
1952
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
FoundedTravis Perkins plcFoundedTravis Perkins plc
1988
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedBuilding Materials Holding CorporationFoundedBuilding Materials Holding Corporation
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Lanoga Corporation →
Active · founded 1883
Lanoga Corporation is one of the largest retailers of lumber and building materials in the United States, with about…
Lanoga Corporation →
Active · founded 1883
Lanoga Corporation is one of the largest retailers of lumber and building materials in the United States, with about…
Graybar Electric Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
One of the largest employee-owned companies in the United States, Graybar Electric Company, Inc.
Graybar Electric Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
One of the largest employee-owned companies in the United States, Graybar Electric Company, Inc.
Electrocomponents PLC →
Active · founded 1937 · United Kingdom
Electrocomponents PLC sits in the top tier of U.K.
Electrocomponents PLC →
Active · founded 1937 · United Kingdom
Electrocomponents PLC sits in the top tier of U.K.
Seigle's Home and Building Centers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1952
Seigle's Home and Building Centers, Inc.--with six retail showrooms, four lumberyards, three manufacturing plants, and…
Seigle's Home and Building Centers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1952
Seigle's Home and Building Centers, Inc.--with six retail showrooms, four lumberyards, three manufacturing plants, and…
Travis Perkins plc →
Active · founded 1988 · United Kingdom
Fast-growing Travis Perkins plc ranks as one of the top three building materials retailers in the United Kingdom,…
Travis Perkins plc →
Active · founded 1988 · United Kingdom
Fast-growing Travis Perkins plc ranks as one of the top three building materials retailers in the United Kingdom,…
Building Materials Holding Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
Building Materials Holding Corporation (BMHC) is a holding company that oversees the operation of its two principal…
Building Materials Holding Corporation →
Active · founded 1997
Building Materials Holding Corporation (BMHC) is a holding company that oversees the operation of its two principal…
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