Reece Limited is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

Australian company, and the country's largest supplier of

plumbing Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses piping, pipes, valves, piping and plumbing fitting, plumbing fixtures, Storage tank, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. HVAC, Heating and co ...

and

bathroom A bathroom is a room in which people wash their bodies or parts thereof. It can contain one or more of the following plumbing fixtures: a shower, a bathtub, a bidet, and a sink (also known as a wash basin in the United Kingdom). A toilet is al ...

supplies. Established in 1920, the company has businesses focused on the plumbing, bathroom, building, civil, irrigation, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration industries. Reece employs approximately 8,000 people and operates 800 branches that supply more than 300,000 products. The company is 70% owned by the Wilson Family.

History

In 1920, Harold Joseph Reece began selling plumbing products from the back of his truck and later opened the first HJ Reece store in Caulfield. In 1958 Les Wilson was offered a seat on the board and gradually began buying shares in the business. By 1969, the Wilson family was approaching a controlling stake in HJ Reece. On 20 July, regulators approved the Wilson family becoming majority shareholders of the company. In 1970, Les Wilson's son, Alan Wilson, who started Austral Hardware almost a decade earlier with the support of his father, became CEO of HJ Reece and later consolidated the two companies. Alan Wilson became executive chairman in 2008, and his son, Peter Wilson, succeeded him as CEO. In May 2018, Reece announced the acquisition of U.S. based competitor MORSCO for $1.9 billion.

References

{{S&P/ASX 200 Home improvement companies of Australia Companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange Companies in the S&P ASX 50 Retail companies established in 1920 Australian companies established in 1920 Bathroom fixture companies Plumbing materials companies Holding companies of Australia