Founded in 1895, the history of W.W. Fairbairn is long and storied! Over one hundred years ago, Scottish immigrant Walter Fairbairn turned a $3,000 dollar profit from the sale of wood harvested on his land into the beginnings of what is now a successful hardware, service, plumbing, and heating supply retailer. After the lumber business began to decline, Walter and his sons expanded the business to include plumbing and heating.