Our History

With several truckloads of Robertson wall tile, Continental unglazed floor tile, Fairfacts fixtures, L & M mortars and grouts and Bondmaster adhesives, Conestoga Tile opened its doors for business as a ceramic tile wholesale distributor in October, 1958, in Lancaster, PA. Those manufacturers are history, but Conestoga Tile continues to grow.

In the early years, Conestoga Tile consisted of 2,500 square feet of warehouse space, a station wagon that served as sales vehicle and delivery truck, a warehouseman, a shared bookkeeper and Jack Vogel who was a combination general manager, salesman, deliveryman, purchasing agent and bill collector.

In 1960, a branch opened in Allentown, PA, and in 1962 Conestoga Tile became the first Florida Tile distributor north of the Mason-Dixon Line. In 1967, another branch opened in Harrisburg, PA, and the product lines expanded into floor covering with the addition of Kentile vinyl products and carpet from numerous manufacturers. A rapid growth period followed. However, in the latter part of the '70s, Conestoga Tile went through a difficult period, and the floor covering products were discontinued. The Lancaster and Allentown operations were closed, and Harrisburg became the main office.

The 1980s began a major growth period. Susan Vogel, whose career had been in sales and marketing, joined her husband in the family business in 1981 as head of the Sales and Marketing Department. Under Susan's leadership the architectural services program was developed, opening a new market for ConestogaTile.

In the early 1990s the next generation, Jim and Steve Vogel also joined the company, assuring the continuation of Conestoga Tile into the 21st Century. On December 31, 1998, Jack Vogel turned the reins of the Conestoga Wagon over to his sons, and in the following month, Jack retired after 40 years of service.

A regional company since its founding, Conestoga Tile embarked on an ambitious long-range expansion strategy in 1993 with the opening of a distribution center in Baltimore. The company expanded into the Washington, DC, market in 1997, and a service center and a showroom opened in 1998 in Dulles, VA. In January, 2002, the company continued to expand with the addition of services in the Richmond and Charlottesville markets and plans to build a distribution center in the southern Virginia market in 2003.