Continuing the climate of consolidation in the wholesaling industry, Newport News, VA-based Ferguson announced that it purchased Western Air Systems & Controls Inc., based in Sacramento, CA. In addition, Colonial Commercial Corp., Hawthorne, NJ, has completed the acquisition of the assets and certain liabilities of S&A Supply Inc., with three locations in Massachusetts.

Ferguson/Western Air Systems & Controls

Western Air Systems serves as an authorized Trane independent wholesale heating and air conditioning product distributor for California (excluding the San Francisco Bay Area) and Nevada. It also has branches in Anaheim and El Cajon, CA, and Las Vegas. The company employs 65 associates and generated sales of $60 million for its fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2006. It will operate within the Ferguson HVAC division under Mike Camarena, HVAC area manager for the Southwestern region.

In a letter posted on its Web site at www.westernairsystems.com, former company owner R. Glenn Woodard noted that Ferguson has been associated with Trane for many years, with Trane wholesale distribution operations in the areas of West Virginia, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Washington, DC.

“Ferguson’s business philosophy is fully in line with our focus on customer support and service,” Woodard said. “The working relationship between Western Air Systems and Ferguson will be a comfortable one.”

Western Air Systems will continue to operate from its existing locations with the same management and staff.



Colonial Commercial/S&A Supply

S&A Supply, a distributor of plumbing, heating and electrical fixtures and supplies, serves markets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Vermont from its three locations in Great Barrington, Pittsfield and North Adams, MA. S&A has about 50 employees and its sales for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2006, were $15.1 million.

Colonial distributes heating, ventilating and air-conditioning equipment, parts and accessories, climate control systems, and plumbing and electrical supplies to HVAC contractors primarily in the New York metropolitan area.

Colonial will add S&A’s electrical supplies and equipment lines to the markets it has been serving through its Universal Supply Group, The RAL Supply Group, and American/Universal Supply subsidiaries, according to William Pagano, chief executive officer of Colonial Commercial Corp.

Brian Mead, president of S&A Supply, said, “This acquisition has the potential to bring strong growth and increased profitability to our business. In addition to sharing product lines with our new sister companies, our companies will continue to target expansion within their existing lines.”