EJ Welch Company, a division of Center Rock Capital Partners’ Merit Distribution Group based in St. Louis, Missouri, has acquired certain assets from Blue Equity owned Gilford-Johnson Flooring covering Alabama, Eastern Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida territories. 

With 60 years in flooring and sundry distribution, EJ Welch’s footprint now covers 26 states and close to 45 locations across the Central and Upper Midwest, Southern, Mountain States, and now a stronger foothold in the Southeast part of the US.

“We are excited to welcome the talent and the expertise of the Gilford-Johnson team to the EJ Welch mission,” said President Kavita McCarthy. “After a successful integration of the eastern footprint of Gilford-Johnson over the past year, we knew the dedication and experience of this team is an excellent fit for our growth plan and we are excited to welcome them to the EJ Welch family.” 

The company also announced the hiring of Tom Dorsey, to the role of regional vice president sales and operations of the Southeast region. Dorsey brings 30 years of sales leadership in the construction industry, both in manufacturing and distribution, employed by world-class brands such as Armstrong, Mannington, JJ Haines, and CertainTeed. He built a successful career in sales working in all key industry verticals, including retail, residential, commercial and A&D. 

“It’s an exciting time to join EJ Welch. Our immediate priority is supporting our sales and operations team and integrating both Dealer’s Supply and Gilford-Johnson for a winning plan to serve our Southeast customer base,” Dorsey said. “The brand is expanding rapidly, and I look forward to strengthen our presence in the Southeast.”

EJ Welch recently expanded its reach into the Southeast region with the acquisition of Dealer’s Supply in October 2021, and now through the acquisition of Gilford-Johnson, will have warehouses in Cayce/Whitsett, Orlando, Knoxville, and Atlanta.  

“We are excited to partner with leading suppliers already part of EJ Welch and expand these products across flooring and tools and sundry to bring innovative options and one-stop shopping to flooring retailers, commercial flooring contractors and flooring installers,” said Tressa Samdal, Vice President of Marketing.