Carr Plumbing & Supply
by Susan Marquez
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Robbie Carr and his brother, Ryan Carr have been working at Carr Plumbing Supply since they were kids. “Our dad, Bob Carr and his business partner, Hite Lane - two big Rankin County guys - started the business in 1987,” says Robbie. “Ryan and I worked here all through high school, and after we graduated college, we went to work for my dad.” Bob Carr is still active in the company, and while Bob bought out Hite in 2010, Hite still does work at the company, too. Robbie says that he and Ryan do whatever is needed. “I handle the day-to-day operations of the company, and I do the buying and handle our customer base and sales. But it’s not unusual for any of us in the warehouse pulling an order or loading a truck.”
When it first started, Carr Plumbing Supply was in a small building and dealt exclusively with plumbers. Over the years, the business has expanded to several locations around the Metro Jackson area, and the product line has expanded along with them. “In 1995 we bought a new building in Jackson with a 16,000 square foot warehouse so we could stock more material and better service our customers,” explains Robbie. “We opened a second branch in Ridgeland in 2001, then in 2010 we moved the Ridgeland location to Gluckstadt, where we opened a showroom in 2015. We opened a third branch in Brandon in 2006, and have recently moved to a new 8,000 square foot building on Highway 471 in Brandon. That new location, allows us to service the Rankin County area more efficiently. Both Dad and I still live in Brandon, so that gives us a strong presence in Rankin County.” Carr’s primary customer, according to Robbie, is still plumbers. “They are who drive our business.” But the plumbers also drive builders and homeowners to the business as well, due to the company’s extensive offerings of bathroom and kitchen fixtures, including sinks, showers, faucets, toilets, bathtubs and vanities. “We have three designers on staff in our Gluckstadt Kitchen and Bath Design Center and one in our showroom in South Jackson.” With name brands including American Standard, Delta Faucet, Toto, Newport Brass, Elkay and more, customers from around the Metro area have learned that Carr Plumbing Supply is their one-stop place to find quality fixtures for their kitchens and baths. The design centers also feature decorative items that add a finishing touch to any home, including cabinets and gas lanterns, mirrors, accent chairs, wall art, chests, rugs and more. As the business grows and evolves, the Carr brothers seek to add more offerings. They are an official distributor for the Grill Dome, a ceramic Komado outdoor cooker. “Our next step is to add a line of kitchen appliances,” says Robbie. “We want to offer anything that has water or gas running through it. That’s just another step into our future.” Robbie says that what sets Carr Plumbing Supply apart is the service they provide. Unlike large chain suppliers, Robbie is proud that Carr is a small local business. “We are the small guys, so we have to be service driven. We have great employees with a lot of years of experience, and there just isn’t a lot of turnover. We wouldn’t be where we are without them. We all love what we do and we like making our customers happy.” Carr’s motto is “Providing our customers what they need, where they need it, when they need it, at a fair price.” |
Rankin September 2020 |