December 12, 2022 – In the early 1980s, after working his way up the career ladder in the med/surg industry, Al Wicks found the place he wanted to settle down. He and his wife Linda had moved to Berks County for a job, and quickly fell in love with the area.
To say they put down roots would be an understatement. “Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” Wicks said. So that’s what he did. In 1982, he started C&S Supply Co. – named after his two children, Christy and Scott. He’s been living out that dream ever since. In fact, the company recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Wicks started selling medical supplies in 1965 for Hoffman Surgical Supply, which would eventually be bought by General Medical. He then went to work for Murray Baumgartner, which was owned by HealthCo in Maryland. HealthCo sold Murray Baumgartner to Foster Medical. During this period he never really changed jobs. “The companies just kept getting bought out,” he said.
Wicks then had the opportunity to move to Reading, Pennsylvania as a manager for a company called HealthCo Bellevue. Soon after, Wicks took the plunge in starting his own business. The distributor’s initial focus was serving clients anywhere within a 70-mile radius of Berks County. They called on physicians, nursing clinics, etc. Over the years, C&S Supply has diversified to offer services beyond a typical distributor. They provide medical/surgical supplies, paper supplies, office supplies, furniture and even paper shredding services. “We’re able to take care of all the needs of individual doctors,” Wicks said. As healthcare providers have consolidated very heavily, and hospitals purchased a lot of practices in their area, C&S Supply is able to offer an array of services to customers of all sizes and specialties.”
When it comes to being a business owner, Wicks said he loves being his own boss. While he turned 75 years old recently, he has no intentions of retiring. “I like getting up in the morning, putting on a shirt and tie, going to work and being with the customers.”
Read more of Al Wicks’ story in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.