The driving force to create Builders FirstSource was the desire to provide professional class building materials and services to the country's homebuilders and remodelers.
In the 1990's, the building materials industry changed significantly. Homebuilders began to grow by acquisition, creating large national competitors. Building materials manufacturers also consolidated at this time. It was inevitable that the building material supply industry - those companies between the consolidating manufacturers and consolidating homebuilders - experienced the same trend. Builders FirstSource was born from this industry evolution.
In March 1998, a management team supported by JLL Partners, a private investment firm with significant committed capital, made its first acquisition. Builders FirstSource continued to grow through a combination of strategic acquisitions and internal expansion. Since March of 1998, the company has acquired and integrated twenty-six companies. In June 2005, Builders FirstSource completed an initial public offering of its common stock, after which JLL Partners continued to own a majority of the company. Warburg Pincus Private Equity IX, L.P. acquired half of JLL’s ownership interest in February 2006.
The resulting organization generated over $2 billion in annual revenue during the height of the housing boom in 2005 and 2006. Builders FirstSource currently operates 55 distribution centers and 55 manufacturing facilities in 9 states.
Builders FirstSource seeks to be the leading supplier of structural building materials and services to homebuilders. The key to their success is our ability to provide personalized attention to their customers at the local level, while also providing them with the resources only offered by a large company. Builders FirstSource’s goal is to provide outstanding products and services to every customer, regardless of size.