Ferguson buys appliance dealer

Ferguson, the largest wholesale plumbing distributor in the U.S., acquired Factory Direct Appliances.

Factory Direct Appliance is a seven-location appliance dealer with five showrooms in Kansas City, Mo., and two outlying locations in Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Neb. 

The deal marks the second big acquisition of the year for Ferguson, which acquired Karl’s Appliance in February. Karl’s operates six showrooms in northern New Jersey. 

“Similar to Ferguson, Factory Direct Appliance is known for its longstanding relationships with both its builder and retail customers,” said Frank Roach, Ferguson CEO. “We are excited about our new association with Factory Direct and look forward to serving our customers in Kansas City, Des Moines and Omaha.”

Factory Direct Appliance was originally founded in 1988 by Dennis and Suzanne Birkestrand, who previously spent 22 years with The Maytag Company. Joined later by partners Rod Holsapple and Steve Johnson, Factory Direct Appliance has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the greater Kansas City area. The company will operate as “Factory Direct Appliance, a Ferguson enterprise.”