Orgill Prepared to Provide Support to Retailers Impacted by True Value Bankruptcy, Potential Sale

Following True Value Company’s bankruptcy filing and its proposed sale to Do it Best, independent retailers doing business with True Value can be confident that Orgill will make every effort to support them in maintaining uninterrupted access to products and services.

True Value has been a respected name in distribution serving the industry for more than 75 years. Understandably, True Value’s bankruptcy filing and proposed sale may create uncertainty among the thousands of independent retailers True Value services across the country and raise questions about what the future holds for their businesses.

“At Orgill, we have always championed the independent dealer. One thing that Orgill can offer to the thousands of True Value customers during these uncertain times is a pathway to stability in their future business relationships that would enable them to continue serving their communities without fear of any interruption,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill’s president and CEO.

“Orgill has been serving the industry for more than 175 years and we are well capitalized and prepared to provide a home to retailers who are looking for a reliable partner. Orgill has continued to make investments in its distribution network, retail programs and field sales team that will allow us to step in and provide True Value customers with the products and support they need and the comfort of knowing that we will be there with them to help grow their businesses – with no uncertainty or surprises.”

In fact, Orgill is already servicing hundreds of former and existing True Value customers who have established a relationship with the Memphis-based distributor over the last several years.

“Over the past two years we have undertaken more than 400 conversions of True Value retailers and we have more than 65 conversions already on our schedule for the coming months,” Moore says. “In addition, we currently share business with True Value at more than 800 stores nationwide.”

Orgill’s experience in working with former and current True Value retailers has equipped it to step in and provide assistance to those retailers who are impacted by these recent developments.

“Because we have done more and more business with current and former True Value customers in the recent months, we aren’t starting at ground zero when it comes to conversions or switching systems. We have the ability and the insights to make this process as efficient as possible,” he says.

Orgill Executive Vice President of Distribution Randy Williams also points out that the recent upgrades and investments that Orgill has made in its distribution network put the company in a strong position when it comes to handling the additional capacity that may come from onboarding so many retail customers in a short period of time.

“Over the past three years, we have added distribution network capacity by building our Rome, New York, distribution center in 2021; expanding our Hurricane, Utah distribution center in 2022, and replacing our Tifton distribution center earlier this year,” Williams says. “These investments will allow us to grow our capacity by 50 percent or over $1.5 billion before adding any additional facilities.”

Williams also notes that, over the past two months, Orgill has added more than $50 million in inventory to help improve existing service levels and better prepare the company for growth.

“We are currently assessing additional investments in inventory and have asked our vendors for their insights and support as we explore additional opportunities to increase our service capacity to meet any industry-wide needs,” Williams says.

Along with investments in its distribution facilities and inventory, Orgill has also grown its industry-leading sales team to provide enhanced service to existing customers and more easily onboard new stores.

“Over this year we have made significant investments in growing our field sales team,” says David Mobley, executive vice president of sales. “Providing retailers with consultative support from our sales team is a key point of difference Orgill offers over other distributors and because we have grown our team by 10 percent this year alone, we are well positioned to onboard new stores.”

Internally, Orgill is also already working to prepare for any surges in demand that may result from True Value’s bankruptcy filing.

“We have already routed every True Value store, both those we currently service and those that we don’t so we can be more responsive to these stores’ needs. And we have done an analysis of potential product and service demands so that we can be best prepared to onboard new accounts,” Moore says.

Moore says that with the internal preparations, continued investment in its systems and staff and support from the vendor community that he is confident Orgill will help the industry weather any uncertainty created by True Value’s bankruptcy.

“The industry changes all the time but what’s most important here is that the thousands of independent retailers who have partnered with True Value in the past do not find their own businesses in jeopardy,” Moore says. “They can be assured that Orgill will rise to the occasion to help them during this difficult time and the industry will come together to make sure that independent retailers continue to meet the needs of their customers and communities without interruption.”

Any retailers wanting to contact Orgill to learn how they can provide them with products, service and support, please contact Orgill’s customer service representative by calling (800) 347-2860 and dialing extension 5141, or through email at customerservice@orgill.com.

About Orgill

Orgill, Inc., the world’s largest independent hardlines distributor, was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Orgill serves more than 13,000 retail hardware stores, home centers, professional lumber dealers and farm stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, and in over 50 countries around the world. More information can be found at orgill.com.

Contact:

Earl Bernard – earl.bernard@orgill.com – (800) 347-2860 ext. 5560

Source: Orgill, Inc.