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Born and raised in New Orleans, Albert J. Coburn
was an entrepreneur – a man who saw opportunity and went after it
with nerve, imagination and persuasiveness. He believed in fair
play, hard work, and reward for a job well done. Most of all, Albert
Coburn had a strong commitment to his family and his faith. This
would be the biggest influence on not only his career, but on the
lives of those who have come to work at Coburn Supply Company.
COBURN SUPPLY COMPANY, INC.
Founded by Albert Coburn in 1934, Coburn Supply Company's corporate
offices are located in Beaumont, Texas. Coburn Supply Company, Inc.
(Coburn's) has branch offices, warehouses, and showrooms in more than 50
locations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. With three
Central Distribution Centers in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi,
Coburn’s offers fast and efficient service.
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The Early Years
Albert J. Coburn, began his career as a plumbing and heating contractor,
following the installation of municipal water systems along Highway 90.
Nicknamed “Tiny” in spite of his 6'5" stature, Albert started the company in
Beaumont, Texas, in 1934 with $1.65 in capital – and nearly went bankrupt after
the first day. Prohibition had been repealed and Albert invited a prospective
customer to have a beer on him. The customer ordered a double whiskey and almost
put the company out of business.
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The Fifties: Suburban Expansion
This was the era of suburban expansion
for Coburn Supply. Now an established plumbing and heating supplier,
Coburn Supply sold Day and Night water heaters, panel ray heaters,
and wall furnaces. By 1955, sales included central heating and HVAC.
The Showroom Philosophy: In an effort to help
plumbing contractors sell product, Coburn opened a showroom in the
Beaumont office. The showroom concept was a success and spread to
many branch locations.
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The Seventies: Decade of
Transition
Founder and Chairman of Coburn Supply, Inc., Albert J.
Coburn
passed away in 1976. In his mid 80s, he considered himself
virtually retired since the early 1970s. After his death, no one was
appointed to the position of Chairman. Arthur Maloney, who had been
president of Coburn Supply, Inc., since the 1950s, assumed
leadership of the company.
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The Nineties: Changing
Competitive Landscape
Consolidation in the industry began to intensify
with national distributors growing at a faster and faster pace. In a
move to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment, Coburn's
became a founding member of Embassy Group, Ltd., which quickly
became one of the largest and most respected wholesale buying groups
in the industry.
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2000's
The third generation of the Coburn family took leadership responsibilities when Don and A.J. Maloney –
Albert Coburn's great nephews and Arthur Maloney's sons – took over leadership of the company.
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2021 4th Generation Transitioned to Coburn’s Executive Leadership
In 2021, Coburn Supply Company announced the promotion of
4th generation family members, Patrick Maloney and Michael
Maloney, to executive leadership positions. Don Maloney and A.J.
Maloney transitioned to chairman and vice chairman positions for the board.
Patrick Maloney, was vice president and director of sales,
became president of Coburn’s. With more than 18 years of company experience under his belt, Patrick is known for his strong sense of sales leadership, is heavily involved in ASA and with The Commonwealth Buying Group and has made an appearance on the Supply House Times 40 Under 40 list.
Michael Maloney brings marketing agency experience and more than 17 years of Coburn’s marketing work to the table. Since the beginning of his career with Coburn’s, he’s helped champion effective marketing strategies and oversees Coburn’s technology initiatives. Currently, Michael
was vice president of marketing and an ASA Emerging Leader Chairman. In this transition, he
took the role of executive vice president of Coburn’s. |
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