I Supply 80 Years
Photo Courtesy of I Supply Company


I Supply Company, a regional provider of disposable packaging, janitorial/sanitation supplies, and customized foodservice distribution, proudly announces its 80th year in operation. 

"We are thrilled to mark this incredible anniversary of 80 years in service," said Jerry Parisi, Chairman & CEO at I Supply Company. "This milestone is a testament to the dedication of our team, the loyalty of our customers, and the enduring values that have guided us since day one." 

I Supply Company’s history tells a story of resilience in a changing industry. In 1944, Joseph Parisi I founded then-named Paul’s Cigarette and Tobacco Co., in Springfield, OH. It was a wholesaler of candy and tobacco products sold primarily to independent corner drugstores and grocery stores. The once-popular soda fountains within those drugstores brought a demand for straws, paper napkins, and cups. Similarly, grocery stores began to request paper bags for their customers. Paul’s scaled to accommodate, expanding its offerings to include paper products and then janitorial supplies. 

By the 1960s, the corner grocery and drugstores making up Paul’s original customer base began to disappear, resulting in more emphasis placed on marketing paper products and janitorial supplies. The company name was changed to Industrial Institutional Supply Company. It was then shortened to I Supply Company in 1966. During this time, broadline food distribution companies largely dominated the market, with restaurants ordering supplies along with the food they already received from their food distributors. This presented a new challenge for I Supply Company. Needing to adapt in order to survive, I Supply Company saw a unique opportunity in the emergence of chain restaurant concepts. 

A new “customized food service distribution” model allowed distributors to stock only the food, packaging, and cleaning supplies needed by those chains. I Supply Company adopted the model in 1982, beginning with serving an 80-location pizza chain. Later that year, they added a roast beef chain concept. A fried chicken chain soon followed.

Today, I Supply Company serves over 750 chain restaurants in all or parts of five states. It also counts among its customers many independent food service establishments, supermarkets, schools, manufacturers, caterers, and healthcare facilities, with coverage in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, and surrounding areas. Despite their success, they say the company has not thrived on business strategy alone. 

“It’s our people,” notes Mario Parisi, current Co-President and third generation company leader alongside brother and Co-President Joe Parisi II. “Our employees have really built our reputation for reliability and respect, and that’s been so critical to our longevity.” 

Company leadership is currently planning ways to recognize the milestone.