Richard W. Schwartz

President and CEO

Schwartz is a graduate of the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering and is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who served in the Reserve at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Schwartz began his career with WinWholesale’s predecessor, Primus Inc., in 1972 when the organization had 40 locations and sales were $35 million. Today, having increased its number of locations more than ten-fold, the organization’s annual sales exceed $2 billion. He became a member of the Primus Board in 1978 and was elected president in 1998. Schwartz successfully led development of the organization’s service companies in the areas of accounting, finance, data processing, and support services. Schwartz also was instrumental in the growth and development of the organization’s four distribution centers. Today, he oversees the entire WinWholesale organization, including the Noland Company which it acquired in May 2005.

Since becoming president, Schwartz has emphasized strategic planning, increased the board’s involvement in strategic decision making and oversight, reorganized middle and upper management, strengthened vendor and industry partnerships and improved use of capital.

WinWholesale continues to grow by offering unique entrepreneurial opportunities in an industry supporting the growing residential and commercial construction markets. In December 2004, Supply House Times, a premier national trade magazine for the wholesale plumbing industry, named WinWholesale the Wholesaler of the Year.

Schwartz serves on the boards for Victoria Theatre Association, The Dayton Foundation and the American Supply Association. He is also actively involved in the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and is a member of Fairmont Presbyterian Church in his hometown of Kettering, Ohio.

Schwartz enjoys hiking, biking and flying his Cessna T210 in his leisure time.