F. Willard Wall*

Inducted 1994

F. Willard Wall is the founder and CEO of Walco International of Porterville, CA.

Wall is a pioneer in the field of veterinary and animal health product distribution. Walco is the nation’s largest animal health product distribution firm, and had 1993 sales exceeding $300 million.

The California native entered the animal health business in 1949, selling products from a single shelf in the family-owned drug store. Shortly thereafter, the Wall family partnership began calling on feedlots, dairies and ranches, selling animal healthcare products out of panel trucks.

In 1954 Willard Wall and his brother, Kermit, began Wall’s Livestock Supply, selling products from a tin shed behind the family drug store. Two years later the company had annual sales of more than $1 million and owned retail outlets in Visalia, California and Phoenix, AZ. In 1965 Willard bought out his brother and by 1972, eight separate partnerships were merged to form Walco.

Today the Walco group includes 72 divisions. Among those are AirVet, promising overnight delivery of veterinary products; Info Tech, a microcomputer based information software and technology system division; Animal Health Express, a mail order catalog company; CAVL, a diagnostic development laboratory that manufactures autogenous vaccines for cattle and swine veterinarians; and RX Veterinary Products, which distributes private label branded products.

*Deceased