About Us Overview

Architectural Builders Supply was begun in August of 2001 by Richard Howard.  Starting out as the salesman, shop fabricator, delivery driver and bookkeeper ABS has grown greatly in the last 5 – years.

In September of 2001 the mission of ABS was to serve its list of house accounts applying the highest degree of service and value possible. ABS’s client base consisted mostly of small sub contractors and carpentry contractors serving the greater Chicago area. The economy had greatly changed from the boom period of the late 1990’s and ABS was looking for the most efficient ways to work and continue serving our client base. Starting out in a 1,500 sq. ft. warehouse and 2 – employees ABS was able to operate “lean and mean” by keeping overhead low and preventing obstacles from interfering with our mission to serve the customer. While keeping an eye on keeping overhead low, ABS also began to consider its future.

ABS decided it would be necessary to consider expanding its existing customer base and also step in a new direction. Its list of house accounts applying the highest degree of service and value possible. ABS’s client base consisted mostly of small sub contractors and carpentry contractors serving the greater Chicago area. The economy had greatly changed from the boom period of the late 1990’s and ABS was looking for the most efficient ways to work and continue serving our client base. Starting out in a 1,500 sq. ft. warehouse and 2 – employees ABS was able to operate “lean and mean” by keeping overhead low and preventing obstacles from interfering with our mission to serve the customer. While keeping an eye on keeping overhead low, ABS also began to consider its future. ABS decided it would be necessary to consider expanding its existing customer base and also step in a new direction.This new direction was the birth of www.abshardware.com This website created an online presence for ABS. The website would be the springboard for greater online opportunities.

This business plan proved correct. In February 2004 ABS moved to a larger 4,000 sq. ft. facility with greater access for customers. These larger facilities allowed ABS to focus on growing its customer base. Growing into this larger facilty went hand in hand with hiring new employees in both the sales area, production department and website development. During this expansion period the evolution of our online presence continued with a greater focus on developing an e-store store to compliment our “bricks & mortar” store. While creating a home in cyberspace proved more difficult than initially thought, ABS continued with this development. It was in March of 2004 that ABS developed another site to compliment its corporate space on the web. This site was to become www.customillwork.com. While this site continues to be improved to this day, its goal is as its name implies. Custom Millwork was a new item ABS could bring to market with the purpose of attracting an additional piece of the construction “pie”. But by September of 2004 the time was right to branch into another new direction. This direction was field installation. This new direction proved to be not only a valuable resource for our existing customer base but also a profitable stream of new client relationships. Possessing the capability to professionally install out products allows greater profits for both ABS and its clients. The clients of ABS can work towards reducing overhead costs of installation by contracting directly with the distributor to perform the installation aspect of the job. This allows our customers to operate more “lean and mean”.

Around the same time customillwork.com was created, ABS deceided it was time to dust off an old project. That project was an e-store. This e-store would be the online version of the products and value based services ABS brings to its client base. January 2005 was the birth of new era for ABS. It was in this month the first online order was placed at www.absupply.net. This truly was the birth of a new era as online sales are projected to become 10% of ABS’s total sales for 2005.

Just two months later ABS moved into it’s current facility.  An 8,000 sq. ft. facility on a heavily trafficked street on the northwest side of Chicago allows us to warehouse over 1,000 metal doors, several hundred wood doors and metal frames.  In addition to this deep inventory of doors and frames this new location for ABS allows it to create a showroom.  This showroom allows ABS to professionally display examples of its broad range of doors, frames, hardware and value based services.  ABS projects its showroom to produce an additional 10% sales revenue for the company in 2006.

In May of 2005 ABS entered into a strategic alliance with Mesker Door Inc. of Huntsville AL. The purpose of this partnership is to strengthen both ABS and Mesker Door Inc by creating a “Chicago Service Center” featuring Mesker doors, frames stick material, and components. This mission of the Chicago Service Center is to support the national network of Mesker Door distributors by making a broad range of Mesker Products available within a very short lead time. The Chicago Service Center stocks over 1,000 metal doors and frames. In addition to the metal door and frame inventory, the Service Center offers both architectural and economy grade wood doors. ABS has the capability to machine these doors to customer specifications. The service center also makes available parts and components along with vision lites and louvers.

To solidify this partnership, ABS launched www.meskerdoors.com in November 2005. Meskerdoors.com showcases the product offering and services made available as the Chicago Service Center by ABS. This website will prove to be a valuable tool to distributors, dealers, contractors, end users, architects and designers. Most importantly through this website customers will be able to purchase these items online. Looking forward to the future can be tempered by reflecting on its past. ABS owes its growth in the last 5 – years to its dedicated team of employees. Everyone from the owner to the driver is committed to provide solid solutions for its clients. In short, ABS understands to nature of the customer and what the customer needs to achieve their goals. Most of all, the clients of ABS need a door supplier they can rely on. This is the mission of ABS.

Our past and future are shown on our sales projections.  In the sales projections ABS plans to expand into the contract hardware sales market by 2007.  ABS will be able to distinguish itself from other contract hardware outlets by offering competitive pricing along with experience and knowledge.  It will prove to be the utility offered by ABS that will give it the advantage over its competition.

In conclusion, ABS has built it business by a single important rule. Listen to the customer. Hearing the customer allows us to supply material and solutions providing solutions and profits for its clients. ABS asks its customers to suggest, criticize and complement it on the job it does. Only by hearing and listening to the customer can ABS grow into the best solution for its customers.

The owner, Rich Howard, continues the legacy of his family. His great grandfather began in the commercial hardware business in 1936 with a $500.00 loan. This business was located in three locations on the northwest side of Chicago and continued to serve Chicago under the business name Chicago Builders Supply, Inc. until the death of the founder in 1989. The main products changed greatly over the years. The late 1950’s saw the introduction of hollow metal doors, referred to as “factory doors” purchased from the Ceco door factory located on the south side of Chicago. Hollow metal doors continue to be the main product for the business to this day. As the fourth generation to sell commercial building products, Rich Howard continues this legacy every day by chasing down his goals. With nearly 15 – years experience Rich Howard continues to serve customers with his motto, and therefore the motto of ABS, pursing perfection.