About ARS Metal Supply
Jim Wakeland and his family founded ARS Building Supply in 1972. Over the years, they worked hard to build relationships and meet customer needs while resisting the “big box” and “national conglomerate” philosophies taking over building materials distribution. The problem with those business models is that they stuff all their customers into the same box. They know customers primarily by account numbers, and they know inventory only by their product codes. There is no personalization, and there are no friendships that draw the supplier and the customer together to provide confidence that the distributor “has their back” and consistently has their best interests in mind. Nothing has ever made the Wakeland family happier than seeing customer needs be met full, on time, and without surprises.
One of the most extended-term business relationships that ARS has enjoyed over the years has been with Isaiah Industries, Inc., of Piqua, Ohio. Isaiah Industries is a leading manufacturer of specialty residential metal roofing, high-performance roofing underlayments, and other materials. Isaiah and ARS have worked together since 1981, meeting the metal roofing needs of customers in the south-central United States.
In May 2017, Isaiah Industries acquired the assets of ARS, renaming the business ARS Metal Supply. Isaiah is continuing the legacy that the Wakeland family has built as we grow the distribution center with additional metal roofing products and services.
According to Isaiah Industries president Todd Miller, “The ARS tradition of caring for customers and standing out as a distributor of choice is something I have always respected. We are very excited to be a part of what they do, and we look forward to learning from the ARS business model as we develop it in other areas of the country.”
Our Team
Jim Wakeland
Founder – Retired
Nick Powell
General Manager
Chris Wakeland
Operations Manager
Nick Powell – General Manager
Nick, his wife, and his dog, Ace, live in Texas with Buckeye roots. After meeting and serving together as missionaries in Alaska, they decided to settle down south with family in the great state of Texas. Nick loves football, especially Ohio State football, along with family time, working out, and anything on or behind a boat. He claims he has been pulled by a horse while water skiing along the shores of Alaska. Nick feels blessed to work for a company that loves and serves people out of a calling to follow Christ’s leadership, and he strives to share that love and kindness with everyone he meets at ARS Metal Supply.
Chris Wakeland – Operations Manager
Chris grew up in the family business from a very early age. He worked for ARS most summers during school and college while learning about the products and services customers need. He attended Abilene Christian University, where he met his future wife, Sherry. His first car was a sky blue Oldsmobile Cutlass with – get this – an 8-track player! They now have three grown sons and a 16-year-old looking for a car of his own. Chris enjoys watching sports and movies and is interested in genealogy and family history.