About Us
Douglas Companies, Inc. opened its doors for business on July 30, 1973, in Texarkana, Arkansas. Bob Douglas, the company founder, had become interested in the wholesale tobacco and candy business and thought it would be a suitable time to start his own business; so, in 1973, he and four other employees began what is now one of the most successful convenience products distribution businesses in the mid-south region of the US.
From the beginning, Douglas Companies has been a family-owned and operated business. Bob and his wife Mary Glynn worked in the business from its beginning. Douglas Companies found itself with great timing as its beginning coincided with the emergence of the emerging convenience store industry of the early 1970's. The company has had steady growth since it began in 1973. The company acquired a second distribution center in Conway, AR in 1978, and a third in Jonesboro, AR in 1989. In 2005, Douglas Companies completed a large expansion to its Conway facility where they consolidated their entire distribution operation.
This has proven to be an excellent decision by the company. This move enabled Douglas to sharpen operations and become highly efficient and accurate in all phases of their business. Today we employ approximately 100 people and service accounts throughout Arkansas and in portions of its surrounding states. Douglas Companies remains a hands-on, family-operated business. The children of the founder are today both continually active participants in the business. Steve Douglas joined the company in 1982, and Susie Douglas Munson joined the company in 1990.
We are customer-driven entrepreneurs who love to see our customers succeed. Your shelf space is as important to us as it is to you - we recognize our success depends on your success. We are not an impersonal corporation with representatives that customers never see. Our customers personally know the 'face' of Douglas Companies through our sales staff, management, and ownership. We want our customers to enjoy doing business with Douglas not only because we do an excellent job, but also because they enjoy the relationships they have developed with our company.
Bob Douglas was a true entrepreneur. He was always thinking of ways to improve his business, and he was consistently educating himself on industry trends and ideas. Bob sought after processes and ideas to help make the company more efficient, productive, and customer-friendly. Technology was a real interest of Bob's. Throughout our history, Douglas has continued to upgrade and expand our technology-related services to better serve our customers. Bob was an industry leader serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committees of the National Association of Tobacco Distributors, Southern Association of Wholesalers, and the American Wholesale Marketers Association, where he served as chair in 2001.
Bob believed that participating in these associations was a vital and important part of a successful business because through these organizations you are constantly educating yourself on the forefront of information in your industry and in his words "you know what's going on!" Both Steve and Susie have continued to be active in industry affairs with Steve serving on the board of the SAWD and was named President in 2018 Susie served as a chair of the board for the CDA in 2017 (the first woman to hold the position).
Bob Douglas loved the convenience products distribution industry. He remained active in the business and Douglas Companies until his death in 2003. He left a tremendous legacy to follow. Steve Douglas, President of Douglas Companies, Inc. and his sister Susie Douglas Munson, Executive Vice-President of the company are following in their father's footsteps as they lead Douglas Companies into its next thirty years. Our company now supplies over 1,000 customers and we have over 7,500 items in inventory.
Douglas Companies looks a lot different than it did in 1973; but the important things have stayed the same. Our commitment to being an outstanding convenience supplier and keeping our customers' interests at heart still drives our company. With these objectives as our goal, we are sure to see the Douglas Companies, Inc. through to future generations.