Coastal Supply Group: Celebrating 50 Years of Chamber Membership
By Danielle Wiseman, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Coastal Supply Group, originally known as Coastal Plumbing Supply, was founded in March 1972 by Alexander A. Federico, Jr. Over the five decades since the business’ inception, the Federico family has grown Coastal exponentially, expanding to six locations in the Tri-State Area.
At the time of its founding, Alexander, more commonly known as Al, was a licensed New York City Master plumber, and he was interested in acquiring a hardware store. While looking for a location, Federico saw an ad in the newspaper for a supply house, and upon doing research, he decided to pivot. Federico purchased Zimmerman Plumbing, a supply house in Stapleton that had been on Staten Island since World War I, and renamed it Coastal Plumbing Supply, opening his first business.
In 1982, just ten years after Federico started Coastal, he acquired a space on New Dorp Lane that opened as a kitchen and bath showroom in addition to a supply warehouse. The New Dorp Lane showroom serves as a place to showcase Coastal’s products to the general public, appealing to Staten Island’s market.
Alongside Federico since Coastal’s inception were his sons, Alex and John, who were still in elementary school when Federico opened the business. “They started very young, but they did everything in the business,” states Federico. “They worked the counter, swept the floors, washed the toilet bowls, worked the showroom, worked the warehouse, keep inventory counts, and drove the trucks. They’ve done it all, and that taught them the business inside and out.”
As Coastal grew, Alex and John grew with it. Under the guidance of their father and mentor, the Federico sons slowly began to take over daily operations, assuming more responsibilities as time went on. Young and ambitious, Alex and John were eager to expand the business and build upon their father’s legacy. In 2006, the Federico brothers opened a third branch of Coastal Plumbing Supply on Staten Island. Located on Arthur Kill Road, the branch was Coastal’s second specialty shop and its first location to offer HVAC supplies.
Following the success of the Arthur Kill store, Alex and John Federico decided to expand further, widening their market share across the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In 2010, they opened the first Coastal Plumbing Supply branch in New Jersey, acquiring the former Abe Gruber Co. in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Shortly after, in 2015, Coastal opened its fifth branch in Long Island City, Queens. In conjunction with the newest acquisition, Coastal Plumbing Supply became Coastal Supply Group.
“In 1972 we started as Coastal Plumbing Supply because we were primarily offering materials to plumbers and homeowners,” says John Federico. “Over the years, we’ve diversified a lot of our product offerings, and we sell a lot more than just plumbing materials. In order to identify ourselves as a supplier of many different types of products, we changed our name to Coastal Supply Group.”
Today, Coastal Supply Group is a group of wholesale supply houses spanning New York and New Jersey that offer a full line of products, including plumbing, heating, kitchen, bath, HVAC, refrigeration, fire suppression, irrigation, landscape lighting , drainage, pump & well, and utility piping supplies. Coastal Supply Group is a leader in the supply industry, proudly serving trade professionals and homeowners for over fifty years.
Alex and John Federico have worked hard to continue their father’s legacy, making Coastal Supply Group a household name on Staten Island. Their last acquisition, the former Swan Pump & Supply in Freehold, New Jersey, takes Coastal’s offerings even further, adding a full line of pumps, wells, drainage, irrigation, and landscape lighting.
In addition to their strong presence on Staten Island through their work at Coastal Supply Group, Al, Alex, and John Federico are also dedicated community members, constantly engaging in organizations that uplift Staten Island. Between the three Federicos, they are members of the Kiwanis Club, the Home Improvement Contractors of Staten Island, the Community Agency for Senior Citizens, the Knights of Columbus, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and Italian Club of Staten Island..
This year, Coastal Supply Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. Federico joined the Chamber in 1973, one year after opening Coastal Supply Group, and instantly became an active participant, and he was eventually recommended to be on the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Al has also served as Chairman of many Committees at the Chamber.
“We utilize the Chamber as often as we can,” emphasizes John. “The Chamber is like a safety net; they’re always there when you need something.”
Congratulations to Coastal Supply Group on 50 years with the Chamber! We are proud to have you as members.
