Living Direct
{{More citations needed|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Living Direct, Inc.
| logo = livingdirectlogo.png
| type = Subsidiary
| founded = {{Start date and age|1999}} as Richlund Ventures Inc.
| founder = Rick Lundbom
| location_country = United States
| location = Austin, Texas
| parent = Ferguson Enterprises
| website = {{URL|https://www.livingdirect.com/}}
}}
Living Direct is a product development and support company for the brands Edgestar, Koldfront, Avallon, and Landmark and is and subsidiary of Ferguson Enterprises. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
Before a reorganization in 2017, Living Direct was an online retail company, specializing in consumer appliances, indoor air quality products, and lawn and garden furniture. It operated e-commerce websites including CompactAppliance.com, LivingDirect.com, PortableAirShop.com, Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, HotWaterSource.com and WineCoolerDirect.com.
History
Living Direct, previously known as Richlund Ventures, was founded in 1999 by Rick Lundbom to market hard-to-find appliances for modern, small-space living. The company started in his home with no outside investors and Lundbom as the sole employee.{{cite web | url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/entrepreneur-magazines-hot-500/181886 | title=Entrepreneur Magazine's Hot 500 Fastest Growing Businesses | publisher = Entrepreneur | date=August 1, 2007 | url-access=subscription}}
He began by launching Living Direct's first retail website, CompactAppliance.com. It was followed by PortableAirShop.com in 2004 and HotWaterSource.com in 2007. In 2008, LivingDirect.com was launched. Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, WineCoolerDirect.com, IceMakerDirect.com, AirPurifierPro.com, OpenBoxDirect.com and EdgeStar.com were later added.
In October 2015, Build.com / Ferguson Enterprises acquired the company.{{cite news |url=https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2015/10/09/buildcom-reportedly-signs-deal-living-direct/ |last=Brohan |first=Mark |title=Build.com reportedly signs a deal for Living Direct |website=Digital Commerce 360 | date=October 9, 2015}}
In 2017, Living Direct shed the retail portion of the company and began to focus solely on product development and support for the Living Direct brands: Edgestar, Koldfront, Landmark, and Avallon.{{Cite web | url=https://www.livingdirect.com/about-living-direct/ | title=Living Direct Brands to Fit Your Lifestyle | work=Living Direct}}
Awards and recognition
Living Direct was ranked in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide of America’s largest e-retailers.{{cite web | url=https://www.naiop.org/globalassets/research-and-publications/report/are-e-commerce-fulfillment-centers-valued-differently-than-warehouses-and-distribution-centers/naiop-are-e-commerce-fulfillment-centers-valued-differently-than-warehouses-and-distribution-centers-oct-2015.pdf | title=Are E-commerce Fulfillment Centers Valued Differently Than Warehouses And Distribution Centers? | first=Jonathan A. | last=Wiley | work=NAIOP | date=October 2015}}
Entrepreneur selected Living Direct as a 2007 Hot 500 Fastest Growing Business.
In 2008, Living Direct was listed in Inc.com's "5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America".{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}