Winsupply, the Dayton, Ohio-based wholesale distributor with $8.4 billion in annual sales and more than 9,500 employee-owners, opened a new HVAC parts and equipment local company in North Wilmington, North Carolina in January 2026. Winsupply of North Wilmington, led by President Conner Leahr, serves New Hanover and Brunswick counties — two coastal North Carolina counties that have experienced above-average population growth driven by residential migration, custom home construction, and high-end beachside development.

The opening is the most recent in a continuous expansion programme. Since the beginning of 2024, Winsupply has added over 20 new local companies to its footprint through a combination of organic openings and acquisitions. The North Wilmington launch demonstrates the company's geographic targeting logic: high-growth coastal markets with sustained new construction demand, often underserved by existing distributor competition.

Winsupply's Co-Ownership Model and Why It Works

The Winsupply business model is distinctive in the distribution landscape and worth understanding because it directly explains why the company continues to expand organically when most competitors are focused on acquisition. Winsupply's 'local company' structure works as follows:

• Winsupply Inc. is the majority equity owner of each local company, providing national buying power, supply chain logistics, and centralised support infrastructure

• The local company president and management team are minority equity owners — investing their own capital and earning equity in the business they build and operate

• Local companies retain the operational autonomy to make market-specific decisions, while benefiting from Winsupply's scale for purchasing and logistics

Conner Leahr described the model directly: 'The Winsupply business model provides a vehicle for anyone with enough grit and determination to build life-changing wealth. The autonomy has forced me to push myself outside of my comfort zone and grow as a leader.' Leahr built an HVAC division from the ground up at a neighbouring Wilmington Winlectric location before leading the new North Wilmington company.

Winsupply of North Wilmington, opened January 2026, serves New Hanover and Brunswick counties in coastal North Carolina — two of the fastest-growing counties in the state — under the Winsupply co-ownership model where President Conner Leahr holds minority equity in a business backed by Winsupply Inc.'s $8.4 billion purchasing and logistics infrastructure.

Why the Wilmington Coastal Market Warrants a New Location

New Hanover and Brunswick counties have seen population growth rates significantly above state and national averages, driven by:

• Residential migration: Families and retirees relocating from northern states have found coastal North Carolina an affordable alternative to South Carolina and Florida beach markets. This migration has driven sustained residential new construction demand.

• Custom home construction: Winsupply's regional area leader Rob McCullough noted that 'there are many custom homes in this area with the need for high-end products.' Custom home HVAC installations command premium product specifications and higher average ticket values than standard residential replacements.

• High humidity climate: 'Being on the beach, with high humidity, an HVAC location made a lot of sense,' McCullough added. Coastal high-humidity environments accelerate HVAC wear and increase both repair frequency and replacement demand relative to less demanding inland climates.

• Complementary existing presence: Winsupply already has electrical and plumbing local companies in the Wilmington area. The HVAC location complements an existing contractor customer base that can now source all three trade categories from a single distribution family.

Winsupply's Broader Expansion Pattern in 2025–2026

The North Wilmington opening is part of a systematic geographic expansion that has added more than 20 local companies since early 2024. Other notable recent expansions include the acquisition of Central Corp. in Appleton, Wisconsin in February 2026 — Winsupply's first acquisition of 2026 — expanding its American Standard and Trane equipment distribution in the Wisconsin market, and Rural Pipe & Supply in Texas.

The pattern reveals Winsupply's geographic strategy: build density in growth markets through both organic openings (like North Wilmington) and selective acquisitions (like Central Corp.) of established local operators. With 9,500 employee-owners across more than 650 locations, Winsupply is building the coverage that makes it a formidable competitor to both independent distributors and national chains in local markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Winsupply of North Wilmington?

Winsupply of North Wilmington is a new HVAC parts and equipment local company opened by Winsupply Inc. in January 2026, serving New Hanover and Brunswick counties in coastal North Carolina. Led by President Conner Leahr, the location targets the high-growth custom home construction and coastal residential HVAC market.

How does the Winsupply co-ownership model work?

Winsupply Inc. holds majority equity in each local company while the local management team invests their own capital for a minority stake. This gives local owners genuine equity upside and operational autonomy, while Winsupply provides national purchasing scale, supply chain logistics, and centralised support infrastructure.

How many Winsupply locations are there?

Winsupply operates more than 650 local companies across the United States with over 9,500 employee-owners and $8.4 billion in annual sales as of January 31, 2026. The company has added more than 20 new local companies since early 2024.