The Strober Organization, Inc. history

1962 The founder's grandson, Eric D. Strober, takes charge at age 20.

Starting in 1972 Strober began broadening its product lines to attract increased business from building subcontractors and remodelers, as well as some do-it-yourself customers.

In 1981 the company prepared for even greater growth when it raided the ranks of competitor L&W Supply Corp. to bring in seven managers to serve as the foundation of a talented young staff.

To help finance these aims, the company went public in November 1986, making an initial public offering (IPO) of stock at $12 a share, netting some $11 million.

In October 1987 Strober arranged its first acquisition since going public 11 months earlier, agreeing to pay $22 million to East Hartford, Connecticut-based General Building Supply Co.

A short time later, on the afternoon of January 26, 1988, he paid a visit to his lawyer and a director of the company, David W. Bernstein, at a midtown Manhattan office building.

In fact, were it not for the insurance payment, the company would have suffered a $2.6 million net loss in 1990.

Strober also saw a change in management in 1991 when Robert J. Gaites, who headed the New York City business, took over as CEO and Kulick assumed the chairmanship, a post he would hold only briefly.

In January 1992 he died of a heart attack, and Gaites became chairman as well.

In February 1996 the company retained Hill Thompson Capital Markets Inc. as a financial advisor to sort through options to maximize stockholder value, and it was clear that management was open to selling the business.

ProBuild began in 1997 when Devonshire Investors acquired the Strober Organization, a leading supplier of building materials to professional builders and contractors in the Northeast.

Then, in April 1998, it reached a tentative agreement to acquire New Jersey-based Haddonfield Lumber and doubled the size of Strober.

With the Haddonfield units in the fold, Strober posted revenues of $400 million in 1999.

Contractor Yard grew further in 2005 with the purchase of Northlake Lumber, a yard that provided Contractor with a presence in both the northern and southern parts of the thriving Charlotte market.

By 2006, Strober was one of the largest professional building materials dealers in the United States.