About Oliver Distributing

Just Good Honest Business ... Where Handshakes Mean Something

The world was different in 1955, when Oliver Distributing Company first opened its doors. Phone numbers had four digits, television had three channels, and gas was 29 cents a gallon.

But a few things have remained the same since that time … the Oliver Distributing Company is still under the same family ownership, continues to be a significant fixture in the Covington community, pricing is extremely competitive, and good honest business is practiced where handshakes still mean something.

Just ask GOJO. Oliver Distributing’s founder, Ralph Oliver, established a relationship with the company with capital from his initial bank loan in 1955. At the time, GOJO was relatively new to the market and Ralph was very new to running his own business. 

According to Ralph’s son and namesake of the small fledgling store, Jim Oliver, the initial GOJO purchase was 50 cases of product that cost almost half of his total start-up capital. “Dad went into the paper mill with it and went around to all the departments,” recalls Jim. “People thought it was a good product, and Dad was off to a good start.” This business move earned Ralph the nickname “GOJO Oliver.”

In 1966, Jim Oliver officially joined his father in the business that had started as “Jimmy’s Variety Store.” He had graduated from Virginia Military Institute, served in the military, had married, and was starting his family. Because he was at that stage in his life, he soon earned the nickname “GOJO Junior.”But soon, Jim was not the only “Oliver Junior” working at Oliver Distributing Company. His son, David, recalls his youthful days of helping his father and grandfather by stacking product, loading trucks, and helping to count money in the cash register. 

“I just always helped out at the store,” recalls David about his school years. “They may have put something into my bank account for college, but helping at the business is just what we did. It was our family business.”

David officially took the reins of the family business in 2007. He soon added a contract cleaning service, primarily as a means to truly test new products before stocking them. “How can I truthfully tell a customer about the benefits of a product if we have not really used it ourselves?” notes David.

“Our OCS contract cleaning enables us to really put products to the test, so we are confident we are bringing the best products to our customers.” There is truthfulness in how strongly they believe in their product lines. There is also honesty in the Oliver approach to servicing customers.

“I am not going to sell a product to a customer if it is not the right product for them,” says David. “Instead of a large ride-on scrubber that a customer wants but does not fit their needs, I’ll recommend something smaller, or something more in line with their budget, because they will get their use out of it. Yes … that's right ... we down-sell. 

"We want to make sure our customers are happy and the product fits their needs and budget.”

If you’ve forgotten what it means to have your supplier know your name, understand your facility needs, and solve your problems instead of just selling you a product, call David Oliver.

You might be surprised at his highly competitive pricing, not to mention the firmness of his handshake.

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Meet the Oliver Team!

David Oliver, President

From the time I can remember, JanSan has been a part of my life. 

My grandfather, Ralph, started Oliver Distributing Company with a commitment to integrity, service, and fair pricing. 

When I formally joined the business in 1988, it was my job to continue that tradition. 

We go out of our way to keep our customers for life … and so far we have done pretty good at accomplishing that goal. 

We will always give our customers great products at great prices with great service. We keep our customers because we work with them to solve their maintenance problems, not to just sell a product.

Give us a call … see how incredibly competitive our pricing is, and remember what it is like to be a treated like a valued friend, not just a customer number.

David Oliver
President, Oliver Distributing
800.879.2840
email David

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Kristen Patterson, Office Manager

I feel I have found the perfect fit for me at Oliver Distributing Company.  I love our customers and feel lucky to be a member of a team that works so hard to do the best job we can to benefit those customers.

It is an environment  fueled with honesty and integrity .. and we also have a lot of fun.

There are many customers who have been with us since before I started here. It is very rewarding to consider your customers as your friends and find the best solutions for their facility needs.

Call us at any time … we appreciate the opportunity to solve your problems, provide the product you need, and build long-term relationships.

Kelsi Holland, Customer Service