Our Long Family History
In 1930, Joseph and Mamie Kotowsky established a General Hardware store selling hay, grain feed, hardware and electrical supplies. Their philosophy in business was simple- take care of every single customer like family, go out of your way to get them whatever they need and you will have a customer for life. By 1945, with their three sons Mandel, Leonard and Irving, they began evolving their business into a plumbing and heating supply company. They ran their business successfully for many decades and eventually sold it in 1982. It remains a successful Chicago business still today.
A New Beginning
In 1992, following in his parents’ footsteps, Irving, with his two sons Michael and David, founded Advantage Plumbing and Heating Supply Company. Purchasing a large building with ample showroom, office and warehouse space, they continued where their family left off. With a fully stocked warehouse, they quickly became known as the go-to place for all plumbing and heating supplies, especially for the hard to find items.
The Business Grows
By 2000, Michael and David took over the reins from their father as the 3rd generation to lead the family business. The brothers, following their passion for decorative kitchen and bath products, reinvented the company. They transformed their plumbing and heating supply house to a 12,000 square foot decorative kitchen and bath showroom selling both retail and wholesale. At this point, they changed their name to Advantage Kitchen and Bath Gallery to reflect their new direction.
Hydrology was Born
In 2007, Michael and David saw that the market was lacking a pure passion for bath culture. Hydrology was created to elevate the human experience with water to something beautiful and memorable. Hydrology’s 6,000 square-foot flagship showroom is located in the heart of Chicago’s design district and is the ultimate destination for high-fashion state-of-the-art bath and kitchen furnishings. The Hydrology collection is pure, original and authentic. David travels all over the world discovering the latest designs, finest materials and advanced manufacturing techniques. The hydrology experience can be found nowhere else.
Lifetime Advantage™ and Advantage Price Promise™
In 2009, following in the long family tradition of above and beyond customer service, the Lifetime Advantage and Advantage Price Promise were created. The Lifetime Advantage and Advantage Price Promise ensure complete customer satisfaction.
Product Design
In 2012, David played a leading role in the design and development of Elan Vital, a stripped down modern industrial faucet collection manufactured by Watermark Designs. The Elan Vital Collection is completely customizable – from finishes and handles to height, width and length, making custom standard! Elan Vital is Watermark’s most recognized and successful faucet collection and is sold internationally.
A New Venture - The Galley
In David’s search for new and innovative products, he discovered The Galley, a revolutionary line of kitchen workstations. In 2014, David was asked to become a partner in the company by the President and CEO Scott Anderson, a former COO of the publicly-traded Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. Over the past five years, David has perfected and expanded the product line, set distribution strategy and directed the sales and marketing of the entire Galley product line. He is also the sole designer of The Galley Tap faucet collection. With David’s involvement, The Galley is thriving.
Member of The Forte Group
In 2015, Advantage Gallery won the Forte Member of the Year Award. Forte is the largest and most respected group of independent decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms throughout North America. In 2019, David was elected and is currently serving as the Board Chairman.
90 Years and Going Strong!
The Advantage Gallery family business celebrates 90 years of taking care of Chicago area families and trade professionals with their home and business needs. Meanwhile, the business grows with the current renovation and expansion of the showroom. The new showroom will be uniquely organized by product category, style, and price to make the selection process easy and enjoyable. It will also include a customer lounge and conference rooms. At the same time, we are rebranding with a fresh new look.
BRING IN A PROJECT, TOUR THE SHOWROOM, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
Come visit us.
Visit our stunning showroom, explore our best-in-class products for every style and budget, and meet our expert staff. We won't pressure you. We'd love get to know you and see how we can help. Schedule an appointment, or just stop by.
