Gypsum industry news

USA: GMS Inc. has announced its acquisition of Olympia Building Supplies, LLC, a leading supplier of wallboard and related construction products including steel studs, joint compound, finishing products, insulation and other specialty products to the South Florida market. Founded in 2008, Olympia has grown rapidly from a single location in Pompano, Florida to the current network of three branch locations located in Pompano, Miami and West Palm Beach. Olympia will continue to operate under its current name, which 'has garnered significant respect and brand recognition among professional contractors in its markets. The entire team will join GMS, including its General Manager, Roger Shingler, an established and respected industry veteran.'

Shingler said, "Combining forces with GMS is the right next step in our growth trajectory. GMS shares our passion for customer service and our commitment to providing high-quality products. We have successfully expanded our business to become a leading specialty distributor in Pompano, Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida. We are excited to further improve our ability to serve new and existing customers with the strong support of GMS' national scale, operational expertise, and strong financial position. Being a part of the GMS family is the perfect fit for us."

Chris Doyle, Vice President of the Southeastern division of GMS, added. "We are very happy to welcome the Olympia team to our company. Olympia is an excellent strategic fit for GMS with its broad product offering and loyal customer base in attractive markets. The acquisition of these three established locations in South Florida provides a very complementary addition to our strong existing positons in Central and Northern Florida. Furthermore, the highly seasoned team is driven by success. We look forward to integrating these assets onto our platform and remain vigilant in our pursuit to further strengthen GMS' leadership positions in the Southeast and nationally for years to come."

GMS Inc has also acquired Steven Kempf Building Material Company (SKBM) headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. SKBM is a supplier of drywall, ceilings, steel studs and related construction products in the greater Philadelphia metro area and was founded in 1994. SKBM services large and small projects in the commercial and multi-family residential end markets. With a 132,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility, it has an operating history of two decades and its entire team will join the company, including its founder and president Steven F. Kempf.

GMS operates a national network of distribution centers across the United States. GMS' extensive product offering of wallboard, suspended ceilings systems, or ceilings, and complementary interior construction products is designed to provide a comprehensive one-stop-shop for our core customer, the interior contractor who installs these products in commercial and residential buildings.

US: Gypsum Management and Supply Inc (GMS) has launched its newly-redesigned website. The company has said that new website was established to 'capture the essence of the brand today,' as well as to digitally facilitate its core competencies in servicing customers and connecting them to local markets.

"GMS has a long-standing commitment to offering customers a better experience," said Michelle Leader, marketing director of GMS. "Our goal continues to be to connect with our customers on a local level and provide the best possible service. This new website helps support this effort, but more importantly equips our customers for success on the job."

US: Gypsum Management and Supply Inc (GMS) has made a strategic entrance into the California and Hawaii markets by acquiring San Diego-based J&B Materials Inc and its affiliated Hawaiian operation, Pono Building Materials LLC.

"We are pleased to bring J&B Materials and Pono Building Materials into the GMS family," said Mike Callahan, president of GMS. "Their commitment to delivering exceptional service, knowledgeable personnel and an expansive product suite with a focus on safety fits well within our culture. This partnership provides us with an excellent opportunity to expand our service area into California and Hawaii while enhancing our West Coast coverage."

J&B Materials has locations in El Cajon, Escondido, Riverside and El Centro in California and one in Honolulu, Hawaii. J&B offers a wide variety of building products including wallboard, stucco, lath and plaster and fasteners among others.

Don Taylor, the GMS vice president of operations for the western region, sees the acquisition as a key step in growing the GMS footprint in California and the whole southwestern US. "We feel that J&B, with its exceptional customer relationships and strong brand name, will be a key component to further expansion. With Bob and Jeff Young joining our team, this will give us the additional management depth to continue our growth," said Taylor.

US: Gypsum Management and Supply (GMS) has signed an agreement to acquire Ohio Valley Building Products based in Wheeling, West Virginia. Ohio Valley Building Products, which supplies wallboard, ceiling products and insulation services, will be the 34th wholly-owned subsidiary of GMS. The deal marks the strategic entrance of GMS into West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.

"We are excited about the addition of Ohio Valley to the GMS family," said Mike Anderson, vice president of the northeast region. "The greater Pittsburgh/Ohio Valley market has been of key interest to us for years. Eric Bayer and his team will be key to us growing in this market in the future."

"I am very excited to join with GMS," said Eric Bayer, president and owner of Ohio Valley Building Products. "We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service and that fits well with GMS. We cannot wait to get started."