OGDENSBURG – Howland Pump & Supply Co., Inc., an Ogdensburg, based Wholesale Plumbing and Heating Supply Corporation, has added a Tupper Lake hardware store to its 14-store operation.

Howland Pump & Supply has entered into an agreement to purchase Fortune’s Hardware, Inc. based in Tupper Lake.

The transaction is anticipated to be completed early fall of 2024. The Tupper Lake location will be known as Hulbert Supply-Tupper Lake.

Stephen C. LaRose, Ogdensburg, Richard P. McDonald, a Lisbon native and Parishville resident and Timothy E. Sherry, of New Hartford, are the owners of Howland Pump & Supply Co., Inc. whose headquarters are, and will remain, in Ogdensburg.

"We are honored and humbled by the faith shown in us by Andre Fortune and Maurice Fortune. For over a century, the Fortune family has proudly owned and operated Fortune’s Hardware. Dating back to 1920 and now in the third generation of the Fortune family, Fortune’s is a trusted local institution. We will do our very best to follow in the footsteps of the Fortune family. We have many current customers in the area and look forward to becoming part of the fabric of Tupper Lake. We look to the future with a great deal of optimism and excitement; hungry for success yet humble in our approach,” stated LaRose.

LaRose, the majority owner, is the President/CEO of the company, with McDonald and Sherry the Chief Operating Officers (COO) of the purchasing function of the company. Howland Pump & Supply Co., Inc. currently operate 14 locations: Howland Pump & Supply, Ogdensburg, Potsdam Plumbing Supply, Gouverneur Plumbing Supply, Utica Plumbing Supply, Watertown Supply Company, Massena Plumbing Supply, Oneida Plumbing Supply, Utica Plumbing Supply in Rome, Hulbert Supply-Malone, Hulbert Supply-Plattsburgh, Hulbert Supply-Saranac Lake, and Hulbert Supply-Lake Placid all in New York along with Hulbert Supply-Burlington and Hulbert Supply-Brandon in Vermont.  

Hulbert Supply-Tupper Lake will be the 15th plumbing and heating location and will join C4 Computer Consulting as businesses operating under the Howland Pump & Supply Co., Inc. umbrella.

"Rich, Tim and I have a great appreciation for the dedicated employees of Howland Pump & Supply. No one person can run 15 locations. I am of the opinion that the employees of Hulbert Supply and Howland Pump & Supply are the reason for our shared success,” said LaRose. "Change can be tough but by looking forward, I hope to lead over 100 employees to many more years of providing our customers, throughout Central, Northern New York and Vermont, with quality service and quality products, to treat our employees right and support the local communities in which our company does business.”

"The McDonald family of Ken, Dawn, Russ and Laura, are the reason why Rich, Tim and myself are in the position we are in. Since the passing of Ken, Dawn and Russ, Laura and her husband Mike (Hills) have been constant supporters of all of us and our employees. The debt we owe the McDonald family can never be repaid,” added LaRose.

The history of Howland Pump & Supply Company dates back to 1855. Babcock Pump was founded in 1855 by Mr. A. Babcock and he was one of the leading manufacturing companies in Ogdensburg.

In 1910, Joseph C. Howland purchased the company and changed the name in 1922 to J.C. Howland Pump Works. In 1937, the name was changed to Howland Pump & Supply by Homer Howland, the son of Joseph C. Howland.

Ken McDonald bought into the company in 1961 and took over the business in 1971.

Ken and Dawn McDonald moved the Ogdensburg location from King Street to their current location on the Ogdensburg-Canton Road in 1984. The business expanded to Potsdam with the location opening in 1976. Potsdam Plumbing still operates in the same location on the corner of Route 56 and the Pleasant Valley Road. Gouverneur Plumbing opened in 1983 and in 1992 moved to their current location on Route 11 just outside of the Village.

In 1985 the business purchased Utica Plumbing Supply and Watertown Supply Company. Watertown Supply moved to their current location on Bradley Street in 1995.

Utica Plumbing Supply moved into their new building on Whitesboro Street in 2003.

In 1990, Massena Plumbing Supply opened on the South Raquette Street location they are currently operating out of.  In 1993, Oneida Plumbing Supply was purchased and still operates on W. Railroad Street. In 1998, the Rome operation was opened on Erie Boulevard and remains there.

In November of 2010, Stephen C. LaRose, Richard P. McDonald, and Timothy E. Sherry purchased Howland Pump & Supply from the late Dawn C. McDonald and Laura E. McDonald-Hills.

In 2011, the Malone location was opened on State Route 11 just outside of Malone.

On July 20, 2018, the company purchased the Hulbert Supply locations in Malone, Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, Burlington Vt. and Brandon Vt.  The Malone locations were merged with the remaining Hulbert locations continuing to operate as Hulbert Supply.

In November of 2018, the Company acquired C4 Computer Consulting with the business moving to the Howland Pump & Supply location in 2021.