History of Equipment Supply And Distribution, Incorporated (ESD)
The roots of ESD date back to 1919 when an electric battery
store founded by Mr. J. M. McGregor was started. Over the years
the batteries were phased out and the other lines were added
until McGregor’s Inc. became the sole distributor of
Coleman, RCA, Frigidaire, and Youngstown Kitchens. In 1954,
Frigidaire introduced a line of heating and air conditioning
equipment along with a line of kitchen cabinets and Mr. McGregor
decided to give up the Coleman and Youngstown lines. Mr. Ray
Williams, who was in charge of the Coleman department, and Mr.
Jack Forsyth (stepson of Mr. McGregor), who was in charge of the
Youngstown department, secured the Coleman and Youngstown
franchises.
Forsyth-Williams, Inc. opened in February 1955 and soon
became one of the largest installers/wholesalers of heating and
air conditioning in Memphis. The company grew and added a carpet
department to replace the Youngstown line, whose metal cabinets
became obsolete when builders switched their preference to wood.
In February, 1966 the company moved to it’s present location
at 468 N. Bellevue, Memphis, Tennessee. In 1972 Mr. Williams
retired and in two years Mr. Forsyth was ready to retire. Rather
than sell to any outside interest, Mr. Forsyth wanted to
liquidate the company. The carpet department was completely
liquidated but with the help and approval of Mr. Forsyth, five
employees secured the Coleman franchise.
The franchise was locked in on October 31, 1974 and on
November 29, 1974 the formation of Corporate Air, Inc. was
completed. Mr. Odis Humphreys, who came to work for
Forsyth-Williams in 1955 as a sales representative and was
vice-president of Forsyth-Williams at its close, became President
of the new corporation. Mr. Paul Gentry and Mr. Sam Pierce, who
were service engineers for Forsyth-Williams, became
vice-presidents for Corporate Air. In January of 1986, Mr. Odis
Humphreys retired and his son, Mr. Charles Humphreys, who had
been with the company since 1975 as a sales representative became
President. In 1990, recognizing the need to become totally
dedicated to the HVAC distribution business, Corporate Air
changed it’s name to Equipment Supply and Distribution,
Incorporated (ESD).
ESD’s sales have more than doubled in the last three
years and continue to have a healthy growth rate each year. In
1996, the Coleman factory branch in Little Rock, Arkansas was
purchased by ESD adding the entire state of Arkansas to the
existing sales territory that consisted of parts of Tennessee,
Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, and Mississippi. This addition
added another doubling in sales figures. ESD’s strategy of
continued growth is based upon customer service and support
helping our dealers to grow profitably. Our efforts at
maintaining adequate stocking levels of equipment, supplies, and
parts as well as the expertise to help our dealer base in the use
of these items have proven to be a winning combination in the
mid-south heating and air conditioning market.