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Morris Cregger founded Cregger Co. Inc. in 1978 determined to deliver services and products better than the competition.
His hard work ethic, good business sense and time grew the business from one small plumbing supply house in West Columbia, South Carolina into a wholesale distributor serving plumbing, HVAC and electrical contractors, as well as homeowners remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. Today, the company occupies 35 properties with more than 700,000 square feet of office and warehouse space, including a corporate office, distribution center and 28 selling locations throughout South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. “Our customer mix is 40 percent plumbing, 40 percent HVAC, 15 percent electrical and 5 percent lighting,”
Richard Kerr, vice president of the electrical division, said. “We now have three electrical branches and two lighting showrooms.”
Cregger Co. opened its electrical division in 2013, which was the same year it surpassed $100 million in sales for the first time. Despite its growth, the business maintains its roots as a family-owned company that takes its motto, “Our Pride Makes the Difference,” to heart when taking care of customers.
“At Cregger Co., we are dedicated to providing our customers the best possible service and experience at the best possible value,” Kerr said.
Cregger Co. has a fleet of 110 company vehicles and 215 full-time employees led by an executive management team including Kerr; Matthew Cregger, CEO; Brendan Donohue, senior vice president of sales and Steve Bennett, vice president of the HVAC division.
Morris Cregger transferred the leadership role to his son on Jan. 1. He continues to play an active role in the day-to-day operations of the business as chairman.
“Matthew has all the characteristics to assume leadership of our company,” Morris Cregger said. “He has his mother’s intelligence and analytical abilities. He is ethical and morally strong, communicates well with people, is humble and has the discipline and determination required to be successful.”
Under Matthew Cregger’s leadership, the company will continue to put customers and employees first. Cregger Co. takes pride in the fact that it has never laid off employees or cut employee benefits in its 40 years of existence. Employees also receive 20-25 percent of bottom line earnings through quarterly incentive programs.
Cregger Co. also strongly believes in giving back to the community and donates 8-10 percent of its earnings to educational institutions and/or charities every year.
“Our quality employees and our independence mean we can quickly react to find solutions for our customers,” Kerr said. “We are successful because we hold to tried and true quality customer service.”
Cregger Co. is developing the infrastructure for an online customer portal. The company also sees geographical growth, expanded product offerings and IMARK Group membership as means of continuing its success well into the future.
“IMARK helps me better understand certain aspects of the industry, such as the importance of marketing,” Kerr said. “Membership is a good way to learn. We also have employees utilizing IMARK University for training. When we opened our first electrical branch we joined right away and we’ve been very happy with IMARK.”
For more information, visit creggercompany.com.