About Us & History

Celebrating 150 Years of Excellence and Family Values

I.D. Booth proudly marks 150 years as a trusted wholesaler and distributor of plumbing, heating, industrial, steel, and electrical supplies. With six generations of the Booth family contributing to our legacy, we remain firmly rooted in the values that have guided us since 1875—trust, dedication, and a strong sense of community.

Operating from 11 locations across Central and Western New York, we serve customers throughout Upstate New York and the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania. Through strong partnerships with leading manufacturers, we deliver top-quality products to contractors, retail supply stores, property managers, and homeowners.

This milestone celebrates more than longevity—it reflects a tradition of integrity, innovation, and commitment to those we serve. At I.D. Booth, we do more than supply materials—we provide tailored solutions and build lasting partnerships that drive success for our customers.

Here’s to a century and a half of excellence—and to the future we’ll build together.

I.D. BOOTH LANDMARK DATES

1875: Irving Denman Booth establishes his “Heavy Hardware” business, laying the foundation for I.D. Booth, Inc. Original company name - The Jobbing House of Irving D. Booth.
1878: Moves operations to a newly constructed brick building at 611-613 Railroad Avenue, Elmira, NY.
1900: A fire devastates the neighboring Booth, Mills & Barker Broom Factory.
1903: Irving Dennison Booth joins the company, marking the second generation of family leadership.
1914: The company is incorporated. Founder Irving Denman Booth passes away. Irving Dennison Booth succeeds his father in managing the company.
1925: I.D. Booth, Inc. relocates to its current headquarters at 620 William Street, Elmira, NY.
1956: Acquires adjacent property owned by Elmira Oil Co. at 616 William Street.
1957: Irving Dennison Booth passes away. The company acquires the Stemple building at 614 William Street.
1958: John Seeley Booth purchases the business from his mother and is elected president, representing the third generation.
1960: Peter S. Booth joins the firm, representing the fourth generation.
1963: John Seeley Booth Jr. joins the company, representing the fourth generation. Expansion adds office and counter space, as well as a showroom.
1971: Opens the Cortland Branch after purchasing the Brockway Manufacturing Co. building in Cortland.
1972: Tropical Storm Agnes devastates Elmira, causing a half-million-dollar loss at I.D. Booth. Acquires the Prechtl properties.
1973: Acquires the Century Oil Co. properties, the Bacorn Coffee Mill properties, and the NYSEG headquarters complex at Madison Ave., Elmira.
1983: Opens the Ithaca plumbing branch on Meadow Street and acquires assets of Miller Hardware in Homer, NY.
1984: J. Walter Booth joins the company, representing the fifth generation.
1989: Launches its first wholesale electrical business in Elmira, which today accounts for one-third of sales. Central Distribution Center opens at East 5th Street, Elmira, NY.
1991: John S. Booth Jr. is elected President, representing the fourth generation. The company implements its first computer system.
1993: Opens electrical branches in Ithaca and Bath, NY.
1995: John Seeley Booth III joins the firm, representing the fifth generation
1996: Acquires Countrywide Electric in Geneva, NY, opening the Geneva branch.
1997: Opens an electrical branch in Corning, NY.
1998: Relocates the Geneva branch to the old Coca-Cola bottling building.
2000: Acquires Brady Electric, adjacent to 620 William Street.
2002: Acquires assets of Wellsville-based Harris Supply, adding four new locations: Wellsville, Batavia, Olean, and Dansville. All employees are retained.
2004: Relocates the Batavia branch to the old Agway building in downtown Batavia.
2008: Merges Booth Electric and I.D. Booth in Ithaca, NY, into an expanded Meadow Street store to better serve Cornell University. Relocates the Dansville branch to a larger facility closer to downtown.
2009: Launches company website and introduces company email for employees.
2010: Relocates the Cortland branch to the north end of the former Brockway building.
2011: Olean moves to new building blocks away from St. Bonaventure University.
2012: Moves the Corning branch to a larger building to better serve Corning, Inc.
2016: Wins the “2016 Affiliated Distributors US Member of the Year for Performance Under $10 Million” award.
2018: A fire destroys “The Hut” at corporate headquarters in Elmira.
2021: A new building is constructed on the site of “The Hut.” RF handheld scanners are introduced for inventory control at all branches.
2022: I.D. Booth was named Napoleon’s New Distributor of the Year for 2022.
2024: John Hunter Booth joins the company, representing the sixth generation. Migrates to a new ERP computer system. Drivers begin using tablets to better track deliveries. Booth Electric Supply in Elmira celebrates 35 years.
2025: I.D. Booth, Inc. celebrates 150 years in business, marking six generations of family leadership.