Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: KEVIN MURPHY

CEO, FERGUSON, NEWPORT NEWS

Published August 30, 2023 by Virginia Business

It’s been an eventful year for the North American subsidiary of U.K. plumbing and heating products distributor Ferguson, which saw its revenues jump from $22.8 billion in 2021 to $28.6 billion in 2022.

In September 2022, the company, which does almost all its business in North America, announced a collaboration with automaker Ford in which an F-550 prototype hydrogen fuel cell work truck would join Ferguson’s fleet for six months, in part to collect data on the environmentally friendlier transportation option.

In December 2022, Ferguson announced the acquisition of Airefco, an Oregon-based distributor of HVAC equipment, parts and supplies, with 191 employees across 11 locations.

Murphy got his start in the plumbing industry working summers at his father’s business, Midwest Pipe and Supply, which was purchased by Ferguson in 1999. Over the years, Murphy has held multiple roles at Ferguson, including group chief executive, and he also serves as chairman of its executive committee.

PERSONAL MOTTO: Care more about the development of others than yourself and always have an insatiable intellectual curiosity.

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