The J.J. Koepsell Company's genesis was back in 1889 when commercial sailing ships plied the Great Lakes. A Sheboygan man by the name of John J. Koepsell built a chandlery, which sold repair and maintenance supplies like ropes, cloths and pullies for those vessels. The company was located at Eighth Street and Indiana Avenue. By 1902, when steam ships were replacing the venerable sailing vessels, Mr. Koepsell changed with the times and shifted his business to the retailing of hardware items. The chandlery was renamed "J.J. Koepsell Hardware Co.", though by 1910 the original name was brought back.

In the early 1920's Walter Koepsell, John's son, developed a plumbing and heating contracting division for the company. The venture proved to be quite popular and by 1929 the company was converted into a wholesale business, selling plumbing, heating and electrical supplies.

In 1946, the J.J. Koepsell company changed locations to South 9th Street along the river. The building is a four story, 65,000 square foot structure which gave the company the opportunity to grow. Walter Koepsell Jr., president of the firm at this time, headed the plumbing and heating division while Fred Koepsell, his brother, took care of the electrical and electronics department in addition to his role as secretary-treasurer.

A contributing factor to the growth of the J.J. Koepsell Company was their aggressive business philosophy. W.W. Gandre, the Sales Manager, was the catalyst who headed the many promotions during the post-war years which were aimed at remodeling many of the older homes in Sheboygan. in addition to promotions, dealer meetings, radio and newspaper advertising, plant tours, customer picnics, selling seminars, showroom traffic builders and home shows were common occurances which built a strong bond between customer and company. Gandre felt that promotion is the the type of game where you learn by doing - and sometimes by failing. The important thing is to make it average out in your firm over the long haul. During these growth years, the company was looked upon as a well-run "old line" supply house; conservative, respectable and honorable that carried top lines, had an excellent credit rating and a good reputation. Sales volume in the late 1940's and early 1950's was reaching around the $1.7 million mark.

The company continued its growth into the 1970's until Walter Koepsell Jr. fell ill. Fred Koepsell left the company and Bill Gandre retired. By the late 70's John Walter Koepsell II became President, David Koepsell (his brother) became Vice President and Mark Koepsell managed the electrical side of the business. However this new leadership was not enough to combat the economic problems of the era. That economic downturn initiated the possibilty of selling the J.J. Koepsell company.

On March 18th, 1981 Howard L. Herman, owner of Superior Electrical Supply, purchased the J.J. Koepsell Company. A successful wholesale business owner since 1964 and with the help of his wife Lillian, the Hermans brought their experience, respected reputation and strong business philosophies to J.J. Koepsell. Through hard work and dedication to the Hermans' wholesale philosophy of inventorying product for the customer, provide the best service possible and be fair in all business dealings, J.J. Koepsell was able to double its sales, exceeding $5 million in 3 1/2 years.

In 2004 J.J. Koepsell once again moved locations, this time farther north. A new building was erected on North Wildwood Ave which allowed the company to modernize operations, centralize inventory and increase showroom space. The showroom is probably the most obvious place to see J.J. Koepsell's reach to the future: stylishly lit displays, interactive demonstration areas and the wide selection and style of plumbing lines including the Kohler Premier Showroom.

With its new location, dedicated and knowledgable staff and excellent customer service, J.J. Koepsell continues its tradition of excellence that has been a business staple for over 100 years.