NEFCO Announces Strategic Acquisition of Unicoa
NEFCO, a premier specialty supply partner to the professional construction trades, is excited to announce the acquisition of Unicoa, a Phoenix-based leader in the construction, pipeline and industrial supply industry. This strategic move marks NEFCO’s sixth acquisition since 2022 and eleventh acquisition since 2017, as NEFCO expands its branch network to 39 locations nationwide. With NEFCO’s acquisition of Southwest Fastener in March 2023 and now Unicoa in March 2024, NEFCO is positioned as one of the largest local construction supply distributors in Phoenix with a broad product offering, ranging from Strut, Hardware, Anchors, Rod and Pipe Hangers (SHARP®️) to Tools, Safety, and general supplies (Tools+).
Unicoa was incorporated by Larry F. Pershing in 1973 beginning as a two-man bearing supply operation in Glendale, Arizona. Larry prided himself on the importance of establishing relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees. In 2019, Mr. Pershing completed the sale of Unicoa to John Paul (“J.P.”) Labbe. Prior to acquiring Unicoa, J.P. held numerous positions at Unicoa and throughout his ownership J.P. remained committed to Larry’s original vision while growing the company’s reach and presence throughout Arizona.
“We are excited to partner with NEFCO and expand both our reach and ability to continue to put our customer first,” said Unicoa President J.P. Labbe. “We believe that this partnership will offer many opportunities and growth for our customers and associates. Both cultures are rooted in the same family-operated model, with individualized customer service being the cornerstone. UNICOA offers NEFCO an introduction to the Phoenix Tools and Safety market and we are all very excited for what the future has in store.”
Matthew Gelles, President and CEO of NEFCO, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition: “We are thrilled to partner with J.P. and the rest of the incredible team at Unicoa. Unicoa has built a tremendous reputation in the Phoenix and Tucson markets for dependable delivery, large inventories, and unmatched customer service. The combination of Southwest Fastener and Unicoa, successfully marries NEFCO’s full product offering, SHARP®️ via Southwest Fastener and Tools+ via Unicoa and establishes the combined business as one of the largest local construction supply distributors in the greater Phoenix market.”
About NEFCO – NEFCO is a family owned and operated construction supply company providing a broad range of products and services to a large variety of professional contractors. With 39 locations throughout the United States, NEFCO provides localized, contractor-centric services including extensive industry expertise, large local inventories, fast dependable jobsite delivery, turnkey engineering services, and specialty fabrication and assembly of construction materials.
About Unicoa – Since 1973, Unicoa has been supplying a broad variety of tools, equipment, and accessories for the Construction, Pipeline, and Industrial Business in Phoenix and Tucson. Unicoa is a family-operated business that believes in competitive pricing and treating the customer as the most important priority.