In 2011 Barbara Oldums, along with her husband Leonard, started their business as a converter manufacturer of a disposable towel called the “TUF” towel. Their business, Industrial Solutions Company (ISC), has grown to be a successful wholesale distributor of safety and janitorial supplies. Last year, they expanded their business to do more with the construction industry. They now rent the Porta Potty Units, Dumpsters, Barricades, Hand Wash Stations, Construction Jobsite Trailers and more.
ISC serves an impressive list of clientele, such as the Texas Rangers, Trinity Metro, DFW Airport, Live! by Loews, Spark Arlington, RS3 Sports, City of Arlington, Archer Western, Linbeck, City of Ft. Worth, Austin Commercial and more. Being located in Arlington allows ISC to serve and supply local businesses, while also being able to secure business around the DFW metroplex. To maintain this success, the Oldums have found that good customer service is key.
Their mission is to be customer focused and performance driven. “We want our customers to know they can count on us to help them get the quality products they need at competitive prices,” said Barbara Oldums. Barbara also said that they strive to build a trusting relationship with all their customers.
They have been recognized by the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and have been awarded the MLB “Jackie Robinson” Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner Award in 2020. They were selected for the 2021 Small Business of the Year Award in the Woman-Owned Category by the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Recently, they were selected for the 2022 Outstanding DBE Award by the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (NCTRCA), where their current certifications include Minority Business Enterprise, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Woman-Owned Business Enterprise and Small Business Enterprise. Currently, ISC is the only African American, Women-Owned Converter Manufacturer of Disposable Towels in the country.
Barbara and Leonard are longtime residents of Arlington and give back to the community through their ministry, Cornerstone World Outreach Ministries, Inc. Mr. Oldums has been volunteering with the ACAPP (Arlington Clergy & Police Partnership) for 12 years helping to provide peace and comfort to Arlington community members and officials. He has been on the board for four years.
Barbara Oldums is very involved in the Greater Arlington Chamber, where she serves as a Chamber Ambassador, and a Member of the Women’s Alliance. She is a Former Board Member of COMTO (Conference of Minority Transportation Officials) where she served as Chair of the Scholarship Committee for four years. She is the Co-Founder of their ministry’s COPE Program (Cornerstone Outreach Pursuing Excellence) a spiritual growth and self-esteem building program for men and women. Leonard and Barbara Oldums are the Authors of The Power Within… Don’t Give Away Your Power.
At the Chamber, Barbara and Leonard Oldums truly exude our tagline, “Together, We Succeed. We look forward to watching the Oldums continue to thrive and give back to the Arlington Community.