Founded by the Clugston family – Jack, his late wife Hilda, son David, and daughter Julie Fiery – J&D Kitchen Distributors began as a wholesale kitchen, appliance, and bath products distributor in 1982 with a small retail showroom and significant warehouse facilities in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Since then, J&D has adapted, changed, and evolved along with the kitchen and bath industry. Today, J&D offers a wide array of kitchen, bath, and other room products and services to its retail clients, new home and renovation contractors, and do-it- yourself homeowners. Their large modern retail showroom centrally located in Hagerstown, Maryland provides an immersive and professional experience for their clients. The professional and highly experienced design, installation, and support team members will work diligently to make their client’s dream kitchen and bath wishes a reality. Their products and services are available throughout the four-state area – Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Please visit their showroom today or schedule a consultation to start your home’s transformation.
C. David Clugston – President
As one of the company’s founding family members, David’s career path began in his formative teenage years. His father Charles “Jack” Clugston had already spent more than a decade working in the kitchen, bath, and appliance industry and thus introduced it to his son. David soon learned how to design and draft kitchen and bath layouts for his father, all be it on graph paper at that time. During David’s summer breaks from school and when not participating in some outdoor sports activity, he would at times travel with Jack as he made sales calls to his many wholesale dealer and builder accounts. He witnessed firsthand the interactions, professionalism, knowledge, and work ethic that his father exhibited and the way in which his clients respected and appreciated him.
This made a lasting impression on David, and he soon decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. Upon high school graduation, David began working for his father at a company that Jack previously had started and managed for some investors. He also continued his education by enrolling in evening class at Hagerstown Junior College, eventually acquiring his Associate Degree in Business Management. In 1982, after spending a year working with his father, they decided that they would start their own wholesale/retail kitchen, bath, and appliance firm and J & D Kitchen Distributor, Inc. was founded.
As with most start-up small family businesses, the entire family became involved. David’s late mother Hilda Clugston managed the office and accounting needs in these early years. The company began to grow at a very rapid pace, and his sister Julie (Clugston) Fiery joined the firm in 1984, after completing her degree in accounting. Julie’s knowledge and organizational skills were instrumental in the early success of J & D Kitchen Distributors, Inc.
Over the following decades, the firm has seen many changes within the kitchen, bath, and appliance industry, today’s marketplace, and to the firm itself. Today, our industry does not require or need distributors that maintain large inventories. Cabinet manufacturers, through innovation and technology, are today able to produce a wide range of products that are better tailored to a client’s wants and needs in a much shorter timeframe. J & D has always remained cognizant and adaptive to these changes, evolving to a more end-user centric business model. This new approach ushered in a move in the mid 1990’s from the original Martinsburg, West Virginia location to a newer, larger, and centrally located showroom and office facility in Hagerstown, Maryland.
By the early 2000’s more changes were underway. By this time, Julie had left the firm to start a family and support her husband with his own business venture. David moved from his supporting role as vice-president to president so that Jack could take a less active roll and support Hilda’s health needs before her eventually passing. This transition was seamless, and it has allowed J & D Kitchen Distributors, Inc. to continue on a successful path. In 2013, Mark Murphy, David’s stepson joined the family business as its Chief Financial Officer ushering in the next generation. By 2016 under David and Mark’s leadership, the firm purchased commercial property of its own and relocated the showroom and offices to its current 132 Old National Pike, Hagerstown, Maryland location. As they fondly look back on their past, they continue looking forward to building a bright future for their team members and their clients.