WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS
Shedding Light on a Business Success:
Evergreen Supply Owner Overcomes
High Hurdle to Succeed
S
he knew it wouldn’t be easy. Airport to the Museum of Science &
Helping her mom start and grow Industry and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo
an electrical supply business in an Studios. The number of product
industry dominated by men wouldn’t lines has swelled to 450, and the tiny
be a cakewalk. But Colleen Kramer, basement “warehouse” has been
42, proved it could be done. Over the replaced with a 20,000-square-foot
past 22 years, she has turned a base- warehouse which the company owns.
ment-born business into gold. The family station wagon, initially
Colleen Kramer, is president of used for deliveries, has been replaced
Evergreen Supply Company, a pre- with a fleet of seven large delivery
miere electrical supplier and a certi- trucks. The company employs 36
fied DBE/WBE woman-owned com- people.
pany, which provides lighting and Kramer received her bachelor’s
electrical services to electrical contrac- degree in business administration
tors who are involved in the Chicago with an emphasis in finance from
area’s largest construction projects. Loyola University in May, 1988. In
Evergreen Supply also provides serv- the early 90s, after working at Ever-
ice contracts to building property green Supply for 4 years, Kramer
managers. attended DePaul University in Chica-
Kramer has worked with the com- go, and received her MBA in business
pany since its inception in 1986. administration, with an emphasis in
Founded by her mother Patt Gal- entrepreneurship, in May 1991.
lagher in the basement of their subur- Active in several professional
ban home, the company initially car- organizations, she is an officer in the
ried only two product lines. Through Federation of Women Contractors, in
Kramer’s enthusiastic involvement, line to become president in 2010. She
the company is now an authorized served on the board of the Electric
distributor for more than 450 ven- Association’s Women’s Council for
dors. Evergreen Supply, with 2007 six years and has been active in the
annual sales of $17.3 million, has National Association of Electrical Dis-
more than 800 clients, including tributors. For six years, she was on
many of Chicago’s largest public and the board of the Girl Scouts of Joliet.
private organizations. A native of Oak Forest, Illinois, she
In 2007, Evergreen Supply Compa- has been married to Bart Kramer for
ny in Chicago had revenues of $17.3 14 years, and they have two daugh-
million. Not bad for a business that ters Brianna, 13, and Rebecca, 12.
was launched with a measly two Evergreen Supply Company is
product lines and first-year sales of headquartered 9901 S. Torrence Ave.,
$90,000. Today, the company has 800 Chicago, IL 60617. More information
clients that range from Chicago’s glo- is available on their web site at
rious Millennium Park and O’Hare
www.evergreensupplyco.com. PWM
24 PROFESSIONAL WOMAN’S MAGAZINE
www.professionalwomanmag.com
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