BR Supply moves into new location
NEW STORE OPENS – The father and son team of Barry (left) and Heath Reed of BR Supply are proud to announce the opening of their new store in the former Chevrolet building on East End Drive. The Reeds said they outgrew their former location next to Sonic, also on East End Drive.
by Danny Wade
A Humboldt business has moved and now has some new digs. BR Supply relocated from their former address at 2405 East End Drive to their new location at 3523 East End Drive in the old Chevrolet dealership building.
For over 22 years, BR Supply has been providing quality plumbing and electrical supplies to West Tennessee. CEO Barry Reed has built this family-owned business into a multi-store corporation. Barry’s son, Heath Reed, serves as president of the company, as does his son-in-law, Eddie Barrett. Third generation (grandson), Zeb Barrett is the director of operations.
“BR Supply opened on August 7, 1999 when we purchased five stores in Trenton, Humboldt, Adamsville, McKenzie and Jackson,” Reed said. “Before, the business was KB Supply.”
“We now have 12 stores,” added Heath Reed. “Our newest store is in Ripley that opened about three years ago.”
Other locations include Union City, Milan, Paris, Brownsville, Savannah and Covington. Reed said they were not looking to add other locations and nothing is in the works but left it open saying, “You never know, we’re always open to looking.”
Their newest store in Ripley is the next one for upgrades. Reed said they bought another building to better serve those customers in the area and will be doing the same as Humboldt, relocating from one location to another.
For those who might not know, BR Supply stocks and sells a full line of plumbing and electrical supplies. Their showrooms have bathroom fixtures on display such as tubs, showers, toilets, whirlpools, sinks and faucets, and ADA compliant units and accessories. They sell practically everything someone would need for bathroom repairs or remodels, both residential and commercial. BR Supply also offers free local delivery.
“We don’t sell hot tubs,” Reed chuckled. “But we probably have a catalogue with them in it.”
BR Supply employs approximately 80 people, ranging from stores with three on staff to others that may have 20 or more. The Jackson location is their largest and also serves as the warehouse.
Reed said they outgrew the former location in Humboldt as the reason for relocation down the road. That building was approximately 7,000 sq. ft. including the show room and storage. The new store is almost twice as large at around 12,000 sq.ft. The extra square footage allows for more showroom floor space to display more products, which in turn helps with sales.
Jason Shaver is the store manager for the Humboldt location and brings 25 years of experience to the business. Reed said all the staffs at their locations are extremely knowledgeable. Some employees have 20 to 30 years in the industry.
Something many people may not know about BR Supply is they offer a good selection of janitorial supplies for the home, office or business. Reed said during the pandemic in 2020 when supplies were difficult to find, BR Supply was one that had many of the janitorial supplies available. Reed said they had one order from California for surgical gloves during the pandemic in 2020.
Even though the new store is open in Humboldt, the old location is still being used for warehouse space.
“We have a great staff of experienced, knowledgeable people,” Reed boasted. “Our success is due to the staff and people. But I give all the credit to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
