ABC Supply Cofounder Diane Hendricks Tops Forbes Richest Self-Made Women List

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.  

This is her third year at the number one spot on the list, with her fortune growing from $7 billion last year to $8 billion in 2020.  

Diane Hendricks cofounded ABC Supply in 1982 with her late husband, Ken. After his death in 2007, Diane has led the business to become the largest wholesale distributor of roofing, siding and windows in the United States.  

According to the ABC Supply website, Diane and Ken, a successful contractor, founded the company “on a single, simple guiding principle—treat contractors with respect, and give them the products and services they need to build their businesses.” 

When the economy slowed down in 1982, Ken and Diane decided to take a risk and acquired three supply centers that were the first three locations for American Builders and Contractors Supply. They continued to expand and within two years, had 25 locations and were ranked third on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies.   

The company experienced rapid growth through acquisition of other distributors and the establishment of affiliate companies that produced some of the supplies sold by ABC Supply. Their largest moves under Diane’s leadership include the 2010 acquisition of Bradco Supply’s 128 locations followed by the 2016 acquisition of L&W Supply’s 136 locations. This last acquisition added a variety of interior building products including drywall, steel framing, ceiling tile and more.  

Today, ABC Supply has nearly 800 locations, 15,000 employees and is the largest supplier of roofing products in the United States.  

To put it into perspective, more well-known (outside the roofing industry) billionaires on the Forbes list include Oprah Winfrey, #9 on the list with a net worth of $2.6 billion and Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook), #11 on the list with an estimated worth of $1.8 billion. Not even close to Diane’s $8 billion. 

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