Decades of roofing experience, put to work for you
A family business built on relationships. Here’s what that history means for your business today.
People who understand your business, and pick up when you call
Decades of roofing knowledge
We’ve bought and sold roofing materials since 1977. We know which products, colors and price points move, and why.
Long-term relationships
Decades-long manufacturer and distributor relationships open doors to buying opportunities and hard-to-find material.
Integrity and trust
We tell you what we know about a product, including when it isn’t right for your yard.
Resourcefulness
Gary Murphy Sr. started this business finding value where others didn’t. When you have a difficult need, we still work that way.
Relationship first
Many of our customers have bought from us for years. We plan to keep it that way by helping them grow.
From one truck to a family of businesses
A start in Northwest Indiana
Gary Wayne Murphy Sr., from Shreveport, Louisiana, married Chris Telschow in 1971. The couple moved to Northwest Indiana, where Chris’s father, Ray Telschow Sr., worked at Globe Roofing in Whiting. Gary joined him and was promoted into management.
Railroad salvage and a roofing niche
Gary launched his business in railroad salvage, buying slow-moving, obsolete and freight-damaged goods for resale. Roofing materials became his niche, and he started his own operation, handling loading, delivery, sales and the books himself.
GW Murphy Inc. is formed
Gary bought his first property in Hammond, Indiana, and incorporated the business. It opened as Ray’s Discount Outlet, selling roofing alongside food, paint, toys and more.
Commercial roofing and 2-step distribution
The company acquired Bargain Bob’s Discount Outlet in Portage, Indiana, added commercial roofing, and began 2-step distribution: shipping truckloads to wholesale customers. By 1990 GW Murphy was a discount roofing supplier in Chicagoland and a wholesale supplier to distributors across the Midwest.
A new generation and global sourcing
Bob Marshall and Ray Telschow Jr. led large-volume sales. Drue McCollum and Gary Murphy Jr. joined in the mid-1990s. After losing a key vendor in 1996, the company began sourcing nationwide, repackaging shingles and importing from international manufacturers.
A permanent home in Hammond
In 2001 GW Murphy expanded, moving to a larger property and moving its corporate headquarters. The same year Gary launched a private-label roofing supply company and bought a business in Chicago, Illinois, that had been one of his first customers.
Into the Gulf Coast
After Hurricane Katrina, GW Murphy began selling into the Gulf Coast and opened a New Orleans location in August 2006.
Biloxi distribution center
High freight rates from the Midwest led to a southern distribution center in Biloxi, Mississippi, under 90 miles from New Orleans. Distribution began in 2012 and sales in 2014. Gary Sr. and Chris now live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Family-led, team-built
Gary Murphy Jr. leads the company as CEO, alongside long-term employees who share the values the business was built on.
“…developing long-lasting relationships with our customers, vendors and employees.”Gary Murphy Sr. · Founder
Adapted from the company history written by Gary Murphy Jr., CEO.
Talk to people who understand your business
Bring us your next inventory question. That’s what decades of relationships are for.
Sales office hours: Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Central.