E.J. Connor established Connor Co. in 1936, after moving from Omaha, Nebraska to Peoria, Illinois to buy Kinsey & Mahler, Co. (a local plumbing wholesaler). With roots in the industry from his work at A.Y. McDonald, located in Omaha and Dubuque, Iowa, E.J. turned Kinsey and Mahler, Co. into the wholesale distributor Connor Co. After struggling though the Depression and World War II, the company continued to prosper and was able to open three more branches by 1952.