The E.J. Welch Company Inc. (Earth City, Mo.) acquired the Merle B. Smith Company (Burr Ridge, Ill.).
The decision to sell the company to E.J Welch was made so that owners Merle B. Smith and Dominic Reda could secure the company's future and allow them, aged 84 and 69, respectively, to retire, according to a joint statement. The two had been at the helm of Merle B. Smith since 1971 and saw it become one of the Chicago area's largest hardwood flooring distributors.
Reda said the acquisition will be a boon to customers.
"The acquisition provides many benefits to the loyal customers of MBS Co.-namely a greater range of products and services," he said. "And in addition to the Burr Ridge location, our customers will also have a second fully stocked location in Elk Grove Village, Ill., at E.J. Welch Company's new 75,000-square-foot facility, complete with classroom and training space hosting regularly scheduled National Wood Flooring Association installation training classes."
The Elk Grove location will be headed by Ryan Reith, said Michael Welch, president of E.J. Welch Company. The company has a number of other locations in cities across the Midwest, including in St. Louis; Springfield and Peoria, Ill.; Evansville, South Bend and Indianapolis, Ind.; Davenport, Iowa and Green Bay and Menomonee Falls, Wis.
The E.J. Welch Company is a wholesale distributor for the flooring trade and has been operating since 1962.
