CDW started with Michael Krasny selling used computers through classified ads from his kitchen. The name stood for Computer Discount Warehouse. By 2013 a company, school or hospital could buy laptops, servers, software licenses and networking gear from CDW, often with setup and support included. Its account managers acted as trusted buyers for customers without big IT staffs. When CDW filed that year, it was returning to the public market after a 2007 leveraged buyout.

Computer Discount Warehouse

Michael Krasny started CDW in 1984. He sold used computers through classified ads, working from his kitchen. He built a catalog and phone sales business that grew quickly in the 1990s. The bet was that businesses wanted one reliable place to buy all their technology, with expert advice and fast delivery. Krasny led the company for many years. Its customers came to include businesses of every size.

Paying Down the Buyout Debt

CDW priced at $17 a share in June 2013. Madison Dearborn and Providence Equity had bought the company in 2007 and loaded it with debt. As a public company CDW paid down that debt and grew through cloud, security and services. It became a steady performer among tech stocks and has paid a dividend since 2013. Its headquarters later moved to Lincolnshire, Illinois. CDW remains public.

Cover: Old Fashioned Brakeman on Freight Train, Lewis Wickes Hine. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a freight train brakeman (delivery).