Founded in 1948 by Austin Norlin, Mid-State Supply bought the assets of the C.R. Boyce Company, a small independent business located in Wautoma, Wisconsin, a community in the central part of the state. We grew in the early years to a point where more room was necessary, and Austin moved the business to a location at the east side of Wautoma, where the headquarters are still located today.
In 1969, Mid-State Supply was incorporated under the name Yellow Thunder Corporation, an Indian name that represented the central Wisconsin area. Austin passed away unexpectedly in 1979, and the business was turned over to his two sons, Steve and Craig.
Mid-State Supply remained a single branch location until 1983, when a branch was established in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Green Bay started as a small leased branch but was soon upgraded to a 30,000 square foot, company-owned, fully stocked facility with a plumbing showroom and service to the northeastern part of Wisconsin.
Kitchen and bathroom cabinetry continued to grow as a product segment, and in 1997, a stand-alone Kitchen and Bath Design Center was opened in Appleton, Wisconsin. The Kitchen and Bath Design Center offers complete kitchen design services and is dedicated to kitchen and bath cabinetry, countertops and hardware sales sold mainly through building contractors. The Kitchen and Bath Design Centers were later added to our existing locations in Wautoma, Green Bay and Fond du Lac.
After celebrating 75 years in business last year, the Norlin’s sold the business to two long time employees Kevin Challe and Meridith McArthur. They are excited to keep the company legacy and family tradition in place moving forward.
Mid-State Supply services the eastern and central third of Wisconsin with our fleet of delivery vehicles. Our main focus is wholesale distribution in the residential, multi-family and commercial segments of the industry. Our customer base is primarily the installing contractors in these related fields as well as institutional sales.