THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 6, 1996 TAG: 9601060351
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Daily Digest
LENGTH: Short : 22 lines
Ferguson Enterprises Inc., a $1 billion-a-year plumbing, pipe and valve distributor based in Newport News, said Friday that it formed a partnership with two other large industrial products wholesalers. Ferguson, a unit of the United Kingdom's Wolseley PLC, said it signed an agreement in principle with bearings and electrical-equipment distributor Motion Industries Inc. of Birmingham, Ala., and maintenance-supply house W.W. Grainger Inc. of Skokie, Ill. The companies will rely upon each other first when they don't have all the products in stock to fill a customer order. Ferguson said the ``preferred supplier'' arrangement will make it easier to meet customer needs. (Staff) by CNB