Rood Utilities Inc. is a locally owned and operated wholesale heating and air conditioning supply company founded in 1946. Rood supplies equipment and parts to many oil companies and heating contractors in upstate New York. In 1964 Rood established the Auburn Technical Institute - a formal training facility dedicated to expanding the knowledge of technicians in the heating and air conditioning trades. Students from every state in the northeast, West Virginia, Ohio and Wisconsin have attended these sessions. There have even been attendees from as far as Utah and Wyoming.
In 1977 responding to the need for a top quality service and installation company that was willing to introduce and support some of the newer technologies into the local market, RCI Heating and Air Conditioning was formed. Though fully experienced and knowledgeable in the warm air market, RCI specializes in hot water heating systems - the most comfortable and economical way to establish true comfort in a home.
1983 brought a new company to the fold - RCI Management Services. RCIMS was originally formed to manage the service department of a large oil company in northern New York State. After that company was sold, RCIMS became the importer of the Buderus brand of cast iron boilers and steel indirect fired storage water heaters. Buderus, a German company that has been continuously in business since 1731 is the largest manufacturer of cast iron boilers in the world. RCIMS marketed these products throughout nine northeastern states until Buderus established its own presence here.
In 1991, Buderus opened its North American branch under the direction of Mr. Pieter DeHaan. While acclimating to doing business in North America, Buderus Hydronic Systems' offices were located in the Rood building on Washington street in Auburn and Rood's storage, shipping and receiving and training facilities were utilized to service Buderus' needs as the sale of Buderus products continued to expand across the rest of the United States. In 1993 Buderus relocated its operation to Salem, New Hampshire. Rood Utilities continues to distribute Buderus products in New York State.
In December of 1993, the entire Rood complex was wiped out due to a major fire that had started in a vacant factory located across the street. Quickly relocating in a 45,000 square foot warehouse facility just a mile west of its Washington Street location, Rood Utilities was shipping materials within two weeks of the fire! Rood's and its associated companies have been operating from this location since the fire and have upgraded the facility to its needs which includes the construction of a new 10,000 square foot building housing the training school.
In late 2010, VP Supply Corp, a plumbing, HVAC, renewable energy and kitchen wholesale company headquartered in Rochester, New York, acquired. VP Supply Corp was purchased in March of 1965 by Marv Miller and Elliot Curwin. The business existed in a small warehouse on Brown Street in downtown Rochester, New York. It was a simple wholesale plumbing supplier housed in an 80,000 square foot 4 story warehouse. As the city of Rochester began to go under rapid growth VP began to grow as well.
In 1987, VP Supply Corp along with Maynard's Electric began development of the large former Wickes Furniture building in Henrietta, New York just south of the city of Rochester. They devised the idea of a "Design Center," centrally focusing materials specified for builders and contractors in the area. Although VP has since expanded to 10 other locations in the regional area, our main offices are still located at the Design Center in Henrietta, New York.
In 1997, Elliot Curwin's sons Gary and Louis agreed to purchase to the company from Marv Miller. They along with Gary Perkins took over leadership with the goal to continue the company's current direction. VP has since grown even more rapidly. With the acquisition of Territory Wholesale Supply, three new branches were added in Holley, Lockport and Medina, New York. At this time a full HVAC division was established, to offer versatility to the reputable VP plumbing line. Not long after markets were established in Buffalo, Syracuse, and New Hartford, widening VP's market reach through out Western New York.
With the turn of the century VP had established itself as a market leader in the Northeast through its ability to continue to grow as a company. By establishing showrooms in both Buffalo and Syracuse, expanding their Holley branch and adding kitchens to their product offering, VP was able to become an all around resource to its customers. Most recently in the midst of a very crucial energy crisis, VP has taken it upon itself to not only become a more energy efficient company, but offer more energy conscious products. It quickly established a Renewable Energy division to offer customers excellent options for alternatives to traditional energy sources.
Gary, Louis and Gary have always maintained VP's focus on the people. Although the typical business model prioritizes fiscal trends and statistics, VP has set itself apart by always putting the customer's needs first. From flexibility on complicated orders to personal assistance on large bids, our customers give us their loyalty because at VP they always come first. This approach has not only set us apart from our competitors in a flooded market, but it has allowed us to continue to grown despite economic hardship.
VP is proud to be one of the largest wholesalers in the Northeast and although remaining progressive as a company, we maintain the same core priorities. If you are a current VP customer, we thank you for joining our family, and if you are interested in working with us please do not hesitate to contact us, we can and will do our best to bring you not only excellent products, but outstanding service.
Check out the Auburn Technical Institute's Training Facility!
Rood Utilities, Division of VP Supply
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