British distribution company acquires Reno's R Supply Co.

Reno-based Record Supply Co.

Inc. better known as R Supply has been acquired by a unit of British-based Wolseley plc, the world's largest distributor of plumbing and heating products.

R Supply, which has branches in Carson City,Winnemucca and Elko in addition to its Reno headquarters, will continue to operate under its existing name although it will be a unit of Ferguson Enterprises Inc.

Bob Edmonds, president of R Supply, will remain as general manager of the northern Nevada operations of Ferguson.

"We're hoping it's really invisible to our customers," Ferguson said of the acquisition.

He said the buyout offer from Wolseley and Ferguson made sense to employeeowned R Supply because its industry wholesale plumbing, heating, waterworks and industrial supplies is seeing rapid consolidation.

"The big guys are absorbing the little guys," he said.

At the same time, Edmonds said the transaction provides more advancement opportunities for employees of R Supply.

Wolseley plc, which announced the acquisition of R Supply at the same time that it announced the purchase of three other North American plumbing and heating distributors, didn't disclose the price it paid for the Reno company.

It said R Supply posted sales of $30 million during 2003 and had net assets of $9.3 million at the end of 2003.

Wolseley recorded sales of $19 billion in Europe and North America during a fiscal year that ended July 31.

It employs about 50,000 in 13 nations.

R Supply was founded in Reno in 1949.

It serves all of Nevada except for Clark County as well as California counties along the Sierra from a total of 90,000 square feet of

warehouse space.