Becoming America's Richest Self-Made Woman: How Diane Hendricks Built Her ABC Supply Empire | Forbes

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"I felt like I was risking it all," says Diane Hendricks, the richest self-made woman in America. In this interview, Hendricks describes how she built her ABC Supply empire without family money nor a college degree. Diane Hendricks chairs ABC Supply, one of the largest wholesale distributors of roofing, siding and windows in America. Hendricks cofounded the business with her late husband, Ken, in Beloit, Wisconsin, in 1982. She has run it since his death in 2007. She led ABC to make the two biggest acquisitions in its history, buying rival Bradco in 2010 and building materials distributor L&W Supply in 2016. The company has nearly 800 branch locations and nearly $15 billion in 2021 revenues. Hendricks sold custom homes for a builder before meeting Ken, a roofer. She has spent millions on local economic development, rebuilding entire blocks in Beloit and bringing in several new businesses to the state. 0:00 "You quit, you're done." 0:38 Leaving The Family Farm For Entrepreneurship 1:33 Navigating Early-Life Obstacles 3:19 Starting ABC Supply With Ken And Finding The Market Need 7:23 How A Wisconsin Town Became A Key Entrepreneurial Opportunity For Hendricks 9:15 How Hendricks Came Out Of The 2008 Financial Crisis On Top 13:13 Hendricks' Lessons From Running An Incubator 14:17 What Hendricks Looks For In An Acquisition To Know It's The Right Fit For ABC Supply 15:26 Hendricks' Best Idea? Schools In Beloite, WI 17:51 Reflecting On Her Decades-Long Career And Lessons Learned 19:21 The Legacy Hendricks Wants To Leave Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1 Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes: http://forbes.com Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.