With 49 branches spread across four states and a strong presence in HVAC, plumbing, electrical and waterworks, Coburn Supply Co. Inc. is a wholesale distributor that understands the value of diversification. For much of its existence, Coburn was a plumbing and A/C equipment supply house, but it took the oil bust in the mid-1980s to convince its owners that the business had to expand its offerings and grow geographically.

The company was founded by Albert Coburn, who started his career as a plumbing and heating contractor, first in Louisiana and later in Beaumont, TX. In 1929, he became the manager of a plumbing supply distributor in Beaumont and, when the store closed in 1934, Albert convinced the owner to let him buy the materials on consignment. With that, Coburn Supply was born.