Diane Hendricks

From real estate sales to a national building-products distributor

Hendricks grew up in a large dairy-farming family in Wisconsin, had her first child as a teenager and finished high school while working. She later entered real estate sales, where she met roofing contractor Ken Hendricks and began investing with him in houses and commercial property. ^[1]

Diane and Ken Hendricks founded ABC Supply in 1982 by acquiring three building-supply locations. ABC Supply identifies Diane as a founder, and Forbes describes the company as one of the largest wholesale distributors of roofing, siding and windows in the United States. ^[1][2]

After Ken Hendricks died in 2007, Diane remained the company's owner and chair and oversaw further expansion. Forbes highlights the acquisitions of Bradco in 2010 and L&W Supply in 2016 as the two largest acquisitions in ABC Supply's history. ^[1]

Private-company ownership remains the main source of wealth

ABC Supply reported more than 900 branches and $20.2 billion of 2025 revenue in Forbes' latest company profile. Those operating figures describe the scale of the business, not Hendricks' personal wealth, because a private company's revenue cannot be treated as an owner's net worth. ^[1]

Hendricks also cofounded Hendricks Holding, which owns businesses across manufacturing, distribution, real estate, construction and other sectors. Her fortune is therefore best understood through her ownership of ABC Supply and related private investments rather than through the headline sales of any single company. ^[2][1]