Garland C Norris Co

Distributer of Janitorial and Restaurant Supplies Garland C. Norris Company started in Apex North Carolina in 1904 by Mr. Garland C. Norris. Mr. Norris, then 18 years old, invested his entire savings of $75 to purchase tobacco products, which he dist...

Distributer of Janitorial and Restaurant Supplies Garland C. Norris Company started in Apex North Carolina in 1904 by Mr. Garland C. Norris. Mr. Norris, then 18 years old, invested his entire savings of $75 to purchase tobacco products, which he distributed with a mule and wagon. In 1921, Mr. Norris moved the company to Raleigh and expanded the operation to include a radius of 25 miles around Raleigh, and new products including candies, ice cream cones, and cola syrup. Major expansion occurred again in the early 1930s when paper cups were first manufactured. Garland C. Norris Co. became the exclusive distributor of Dixie Cups for North Carolina, pioneering the introduction of paper disposables throughout North Carolina. In 1933, Mr. Norris organized a company in Lakeland Florida to can and distribute citrus products. Using his own brand name, Golden Tap, this operation distributed products throughout the southeastern United States. The canning operation was sold in the late 1960s, but the company continued to distribute citrus juices into the 1990's. During the 1970s and 1980s the company focused on distributing food-service disposables and replaced tobacco, candies and sundries with chemicals and cleaners, party supplies and maintenance items. The company continued its concentration on sales to distributors and expanded its service area to include all of North and South Carolina, southern Virginia and parts of Tennessee and Georgia. Today, Garland C. Norris Company is the only Carolina-based wholesaler that sells exclusively to distributors. Rapid growth in the late 1980s necessitated larger space. In June 1990, The company returned to Apex North Carolina to build a new facility. Significant expansion of the facility was completed in 1998 and again in 2006. The company's Apex plant is now approximately 120,000 square feet. The company is owned and managed by third and fourth generation family members. The company is proud of its strong management team, which has a long history of dedicated service. Each member of our team fully understands that Garland C. Norris Company exists to meet the needs of customers. Everyone at Garland C. Norris Company shares in a "Customer Driven" philosophy. Garland C. Norris Company is proud of its rich history and, as it was in 1904, is dedicated to being "THE BEST CHOICE A DISTRIBUTOR CAN MAKE"!