Graco Supply Celebrates 55 Years
Fort Worth, TX (PRWEB) April 14, 2014 -- Graco Supply, an aviation and aerospace supplies distributor, is celebrating 55 years this May, proving to be a mainstay in the ever-changing aviation industry.
The company was founded in 1959 by Jack L. Gray in Fort Worth, Texas, where the company is still headquartered. Before founding Graco Supply, Mr. Gray worked for Bell Helicopter and was known for his ability to get hard-to-find materials.
“He had friends at Bell, and people just started coming to him,” explained Blaine Gray, the founder's grandson and Vice President of Strategic Accounts for Graco Supply. “He recognized the need for a distributor, which, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, led to the decision to leave Bell to open his own company.”
Like many new businesses, this one started out in a garage. Mr. Gray used his garage as a workshop, but quickly outgrew the space and leased the company’s first building in 1959, when the company was formally founded.
“In those early days, some of the first deals were done on cocktail napkins and handshakes,” said Jim “JP” Phillips, who is a part owner of the company and is also part of the founding family. He started out as a delivery driver and worked his way into sales, and eventually his larger role as part owner and a key account manager.
Blaine Gray represents the third generation of the Gray family and Graco Supply. He began work with the company in 1993. At one point, there were 12 different family members working for the company.
Graco Supply has been growing over the years, adding five locations in the last 18 years. The first addition was Wichita, Kansas in 1996. A decade of growth began with the opening of the Tulsa, Oklahoma location in 2006. From there, the expansion was quick – Ball Ground, Georgia in 2007, High Point, North Carolina in 2008, and Kent, Washington in 2014.
“In the past, we've been more of a regional supplier. Moving forward, we are looking for a more national footprint, which means expansion of locations and product lines,” said Blaine Gray.
Graco Supply was a family-owned business until it was bought by a private equity fund in 2002. It is currently owned by Cotton Creek Capital and Stony Point Group, a venture capital group.
About Graco Supply
Graco Supply, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has been providing quality adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, primers, lubricants, tapes, cleaners and MRO products to the aerospace, aircraft and industrial markets since 1959. Graco Supply also offers custom packaging and supply chain solutions giving its valued customers unequaled choices regarding how materials are procured, managed and used. Graco Supply is ISO9001:2008, AS9100, and AS9120 certified and NADCAP accredited. For more information about Graco Supply, visit http://www.gracosupply.com.
Nici Sandberg, Graco Supply Company, http://www.gracosupply.com, +1 (817) 759-8460, [email protected]
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