Our story
Simon Industries has been serving New York businesses since 1948. Three generations, one family, and a simple principle that hasn’t changed: take care of the customer.
1948 – The Beginning
Al Simon founded the company in Greenpoint, Brooklyn after World War II as a small family-owned hardware store serving local contractors and neighborhood businesses.
1980s–2000s – Fitness Industry Focus
Under Mark’s leadership, Simon Industries became a primary supplier to health clubs and fitness centers across the New York metro area, including Retro Fitness and Crunch locations, built on strong customer relationships.
Mid-2000s to 2019 – Rapid Growth
Eric and childhood friend Tom Detore modernized the business, expanded the product line, and grew the company from a handful of hotel accounts to hundreds of customers across New York City and beyond.
2020–2022 – Reinvention and Diversification
The company expanded aggressively into residential high-rises, property management, and commercial facilities, adding janitorial, sanitation, safety, and building maintenance products to reduce dependence on any single industry.
1970s–1980s – Transition to Distribution
As customer needs evolved and the local retail landscape changed, the company transitioned from a neighborhood hardware store into a wholesale distribution business serving commercial customers.
Early 2000s – Entering Hospitality
Eric Simon, Al’s grandson, joined the business and began prospecting NYC hotels. The company’s first hotel order was a single case of toothbrushes, which Eric sourced himself from retail stores. That order started everything.
2020 – Surviving the Pandemic
COVID-19 shut down hospitality almost overnight. Simon Industries kept going, sourcing hard-to-find products, maintaining deliveries, and standing by customers when most suppliers couldn’t.
Today
Simon Industries serves hundreds of customers across NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Nearly 80 years in, it’s still family owned and still built on the same values Al Simon started with.
Why we do what we do?
For over 75 years, Simon Industries has evolved to meet the changing needs of New York City businesses. Along the way, we noticed a pattern: as suppliers got larger, customer service got worse.
We heard the same frustrations over and over:
Can’t reach a real person when there’s a problem
Long hold times and automated phone systems
Vendors that disappear after the sale
Backorders with little communication
The reality is that hotels, residential buildings, gyms, offices, and commercial facilities don't operate on a Monday-Friday schedule. When a building runs out of garbage bags, a hotel has no toilet paper, or a critical product is unavailable, waiting until Monday isn't an option.
That's why we built Simon Industries differently.
We believe every customer should have access to a real person, real inventory, and a local partner who is willing to answer the phone and help when problems arise.
We're large enough to compete with national suppliers, but small enough to care about every customer we serve.
Our goal is simple:
Help our customers spend less time chasing supplies and more time running their business.
What we stand for:
Relationships First
Our business is built on long-term partnerships. We treat customers, vendors, and teammates with respect and integrity because strong relationships are what drive long-term success.
Operational Excellence
Great businesses run on strong systems. We constantly improve our processes, from the warehouse to the supply chain, so we can scale, reduce errors, and serve customers better.
Continuous Improvement
Good is never good enough. We push to improve our systems, our team, and our operations every year so Simon Industries keeps getting stronger.
Speed & Urgency
Our customers operate 24/7 and their problems don’t wait. We move fast, solve quickly, and treat every order like it matters, because in this business, timing is everything.
Be Reliable
When customers call Simon Industries, the job gets done. We take pride in delivering when others are out of stock, delayed, or unreachable. Our customers trust us because we consistently follow through.
Ownership & Accountability
Every team member owns their role. We take responsibility for outcomes, fix mistakes fast, and hold ourselves to high standards. Problems don’t get passed around here, they get solved.
Resourcefulness
There is always a way. Whether it’s sourcing during a shortage, finding an alternate vendor, or making a last-minute delivery, we figure it out.
How we are different
HOW SIMONS OPERATES DIFFERENTLY
We’re Local & Accessible
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Locally owned and operated since 1948
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Warehouse and team based in Long Island City
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Serving NYC, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut
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Local accountability when you need help
We’re Real People
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Dedicated account representative
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Direct phone, email, and cell phone access
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No call centers or endless automated systems
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Fast answers from people who know your business
We’re a Reliable Supplier
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Thousands of products stocked and available
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Fast delivery throughout the NYC metro area
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Emergency and hard-to-find product sourcing
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Flexible solutions when products become unavailable
We’re Easy To Do Business With
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No unnecessary red tape
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Flexible ordering options
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Able to work within buying groups and procurement platforms
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One supplier for housekeeping, maintenance, janitorial, facility, and operational supplies
we’re Built On Relationships
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Family-owned company values
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Long-term partnerships over short-term transactions
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Customers treated like partners, not account numbers
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A team that genuinely cares about your success
