Koll Distributors History

In 1939, Joseph C. Koll, a New York and Chicago oil company executive returned to his hometown of Washington, DC to found the Koll Petroleum Company.  The company thrived in the petroleum market until World War II when it was devastated by the gas rationing of that period.  Mr. Koll creatively moved into the anti-freeze and automotive product market and was able to keep the company going for the duration of the war while also working for the War Production Board.

After the war, the company further expanded its product base by pioneering the introduction of the first aerosol insecticide fogger to the retail market.  It was at this time that the company underwent a name change to reflect its expanding product base and became Koll Distributors.

In 1953, Richard S. Boettinger, Sr., Mr. Koll’s nephew and a World War II Air Force veteran, joined Koll Distributors and further advanced the company by expanding its housewares and cleaning chemical market to hardware and drug stores. When Joseph Koll passed away in 1961, Mr. Boettinger, Sr. and his wife Jean purchased the company. The company was incorporated in 1965 and continued to expand in the hardware and drug store cleaning chemicals and housewares market.

In 1988, three of Mr. and Mrs. Boettinger’s sons, Rick, Jim and Dave, purchased Koll Distributors, Inc. and expanded the company into commercial sales and the independent grocery store market.  Today, Koll Distributors, Inc. is a complete wholesale distributor of housewares, hardware, cleaning chemicals, polishes, mops, brooms, brushes, electrical accessories, health and beauty care items as well as seasonal products such as snow shovels, sleds, turkey fryer kits, coolers and picnic jugs.  Koll Distributors, Inc. is also a key distributor of Newell/Rubbermaid products as well as a broad line of housewares and multi-cultural items and a wide variety of every non-food item found in grocery stores.

The success of Koll Distributors, Inc. over the years can be attributed to detail-oriented customer service and a broad and constantly evolving product mix.  It is a third generation family-owned and operated business with a business philosophy that emphasizes hard work and dedication to customers. The sales force works closely with customers to continually anticipate their individual needs and introduce new and profitable product lines.