A plumbing and heating supply distributor in Western Pennsylvania, the largest in its market with almost nobody competing.

The part that makes this rare

Almost no direct competition, and the inventory nearly pays for itself.

This is the largest wholesale plumbing and heating supplier in its market, and it faces little direct competition across the surrounding counties. That is not a position you build in a few years. It took forty-seven of them.

Roughly $830,000 of inventory is included in the sale. Against a purchase price under a million, a substantial share of what you are buying is stock you can sell.

At a glance

What we can show you before you sign.

The business

Forty-seven years of being the place the trades call first.

The company supplies a broad range of specialised plumbing and heating products to contractors, businesses and homeowners across a rural market where the alternatives are a long drive away. That distance is the moat.

The sale includes the operating business, the real estate, the equipment and the inventory. The property is made up of several parcels covering the main warehouse, parking and additional open land.

The seller is exiting and has offered to assist with the transition. Staff and supplier relationships are expected to remain in place.

Where the upside is

A supply business that has never had to try very hard.

A business with no real competition rarely gets sharp. That is the opportunity here. The customer base and the location are already secure, so most of the upside is operational rather than a hope that demand appears.

• Grow the contractor accountsRecurring revenue through trade accounts, job site delivery and preferred pricing for the contractors already buying here.
• Work the inventory harder$830,000 of stock is a large share of the purchase price. Turn management, purchasing discipline and dead stock clearance go straight to the bottom line.
• Modernise the front endCounter systems, online ordering and quoting are the usual gap in a business of this age, and the usual fastest win.
• Extend the trade areaLittle competition in the surrounding counties means delivery radius is a growth lever rather than a cost.
• Use the landSeveral parcels including parking and open lots, with room for storage, expansion or additional uses.
• Keep the manager, buy your time backA GM already in place and willing to stay is the difference between buying a job and buying a business.

Who this fits

A first acquisition that does not have to be your full time job.