Macon Supply’s History of Growth
Macon Supply was founded as a mill supply house in 1933 by Bill Smith. The company offered a broad variety of tools, construction materials, safety gear, and PVF.
In 1978, Mr. Smith sold the business to Frank Gunn, a banker who recognized the unique opportunity to purchase a well-respected, established business. Initially, the company continued to function as a mill supply house while remaining focused on serving its customers and the Middle Georgia area with integrity and expertise.
Forward-Thinking Leadership
Frank slowly began to make changes to the business with an eye on growth, borrowing on his past work experiences as the son of a Middle Georgia peach farmer and a trained banking professional. He believed, and continues to believe, in hard work, paying attention to the details and making changes when necessary. One of his first changes was to focus primarily on the growth opportunities of the PVF market by offering a deeper, broader inventory – all while building a sales team armed with industry expertise and a commitment to their customers.
Investments in Technology
The next change was a forward-thinking investment of time and resources to “computerize” his business, allowing the company to better manage:
- Accounting functions
- Inventory
- Pricing
- Purchasing
Macon Supply continues to invest in technology, the backbone of which is Eclipse, a state-of-the-art ERP system designed for the distribution industry. Eclipse provides best-in-class financial, inventory, and asset management necessary for future growth, while enhancing the ability and productivity of our sales team to support their customers. Our truck fleet is equipped with Fleetmatics (a Verizon Company) GPS units, allowing us to instantly find a delivery vehicle’s location and estimated arrival time.
Transitioning to ESOP
A major milestone occurred in 2001 when Frank began selling the company to the Macon Supply ESOP, which now owns 80% of the Company. The ESOP had the effect of transforming every employee into an owner – which greatly enhanced and continues to reinforce our commitment to serving customers.
Company Location
Macon Supply is still located at 2140 7th Street in the historic, industrial district of Macon, Georgia. We have expanded our footprint at this location with the addition of an open-air, covered pipe building, and additional yard space for outdoor storage. We have also invested in two additional properties with expanded warehouses, allowing us to store inventory in a controlled environment. The driving force behind each of these changes was to better serve our customers.
Expansion & Acquisition
Having enjoyed years of growth, our management team began to explore acquisition opportunities that would be the right fit for our culture and growth plans.
In June of 2021, Macon Supply, Inc. acquired Southern Safety Supply from Jim and Barbara Jones, its owners for twenty years. The Jones’ team had also built a reputable, small local business focusing on fire extinguisher sales and service along with the sales of personal protective gear.
The Jones’ and all their employees were hired by Macon Supply, and each employee remains actively engaged in the business. There is a great deal of shared enthusiasm and commitment to building the new combined business units by all of the Macon Supply employees.
Contact us to learn how we can serve you!
Why Macon Supply?
Established Reputation for Excellence
We have worked hard to establish and maintain a reputation for being a trusted resource for pipe, valves, and fittings for our industrial and utility customers. Our timely delivery and quality products have secured lifelong customers that know what they are getting when they come to Macon Supply: excellent customer service, high-quality products made from the best materials by trusted manufacturers, and competitive pricing for all of our products.
We have decades of experience with our technical sales team and operations crew working in sync for easy ordering and timely fulfillment. We serve the Southeast and beyond, maintaining strong relationships with our local, regional, and national partners, manufacturers, and contractors that have lasted throughout the years, as well as forging new ones.
Excellent Customer Service
Our team understands the importance of a project timeline and a target completion date. Our sales team and operations crew work tirelessly to make sure your order gets to you on time and accurately, because we take time to understand your end goal and offer solutions that will meet your needs. We aspire to “under promise, and over deliver,” while always being forthright.
Quality Materials
Our products are supplied to us by industry-leading manufacturers and include nationally-recognized brands. Our extensive inventory of pipe, valves, and fittings includes carbon steel, stainless steel, copper, galvanized, black iron, ductile iron, sanitary stainless, PVC, and CPVC, and are offered in a wide range of sizes to suit any industrial, mechanical, or utility project.
Competitive Prices
Being in business since 1933 has given Macon Supply the opportunity to form lasting relationships with local, regional, and national manufacturers. This combined with being a member of the AD Buying Group allows us to offer the best products at a competitive price.
Benefits of Our ESOP Status
The Macon Supply ESOP, which operates as a Qualified Retirement Plan, was formed in 2001 to benefit its employees and customers. Each employee that works at Macon Supply for longer than 1 year becomes an owner of the Company.
An ESOP greatly benefits our customers, because our employees have a vested interest in serving you. We have low turnover because our staff is incentivized, better trained, more experienced, and dedicated. We remain transparent with our company goals and ensure that everyone understands their importance. We are all accountable and responsible – we take your projects seriously. Remember that you are always speaking with an Owner when you call Macon Supply!