CEO, FERGUSON, NEWPORT NEWS
Virginia Business //September 2, 2025//
CEO, FERGUSON, NEWPORT NEWS
Virginia Business //September 2, 2025//
Murphy got his start in the plumbing industry working summers at his father’s business, Midwest Pipe and Supply, which was purchased by Ferguson in 1999.
A plumbing and heating products distributor with about 35,000 employees, Ferguson reported $29.6 billion in net sales in 2024. The company made its Fortune 500 debut this year at No. 146. Last year, Ferguson’s British holding company merged with its U.S. subsidiary, following a corporate reorganization.
Ferguson has become known as a “serial acquirer” in recent years, having completed more than 50 deals in the past five years. In 2023, the company acquired plumbing distributor Bruce Supply; waterworks distributor The Kennedy Cos.; and HVAC equipment, parts and supplies distributor S. G. Torrice. In 2024, it acquired Yorkwest Plumbing Supply and plumbing and HVAC distributor Grove Supply. In the third quarter of this year alone, it completed three acquisitions.
Murphy sits on Ferguson’s board and the board of Pool Corp., a wholesale distributor of swimming pool equipment, parts and supplies.
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