Banner Supply Company Celebrates 100 Years in Business
By BEN DAVIS | October 3, 2026 | 3 min read
(Correspondent photos / Ben Davis) Prior to cutting the ribbon marking Banner Supply’s 100th anniversary, company owner Richard Edward Abel spoke to the crowd in the store’s parking lot. "Everything we do, every decision we make, is to satisfy the wants and needs of our customers … Those are my friends, our customers, our suppliers, our employees."
A Century of Resilience and Community
YOUNGSTOWN -- Banner Supply Company celebrated its 100th anniversary with a celebration on September 25. The event was open to the public and drew many of Banner Supply's regular customers and former employees.
A family-owned business since its inception, Banner Supply provides building materials, roofing supplies, and construction products. Its longevity is attributed to its workforce, many of whom are part of the family.
Richard William Abel shared the history: "My grandfather (John S. Abel) built the building, and my father built the heating business." The company's success, he said, is largely due to their employees who are related to them or existing employees' relatives.
Banner Supply has weathered numerous challenges over its century-long existence, from the Great Depression to World War II and the closure of steel mills. Richard John Abel, grandson of Richard William Abel, credited the family's tight-knit bond and the hard work of their employees for the company's resilience.
He also highlighted the special connection Banner Supply enjoys with its customers and the Youngstown community: "You couldn't imagine how expensive it is to operate under six to seven dollars a gallon of diesel. We're operating a fleet of tons of trucks... but it's that loyalty and that connection with the community that really carried us."
This generational loyalty extends to both employees and customers. Ron Chiarello, who worked for Banner Supply for 40 years, and whose son now works for them, shared that the company treats its workers fairly as if they were part of the family.