New ownership at Thrifty Building Supply

Memphis, Tenn. —  Richard Cooper, who served as vice president of Thrifty Building Supply for nearly seven years, has taken over the ownership of the company after Mark Evans, president and CEO, retired at the end of 2021.

Thrifty Building Supply, a supplier to home builders in west Tennessee and north Mississippi, was started in 1984 in Collierville, Tennessee, by Mark Evan’s father, Farrell Evans, who had prior experience working for a building products distributor. At that time, Collierville was a rural farm area, and Farrell sold discount, shop-grade materials for sheds and similar structures. Now, nearly four decades later, the business has grown exponentially, providing quality building materials to some of the largest homebuilders in the area.

In 2015, Evans brought on Cooper, a lifelong Memphian with more than 20 years of building industry experience, as a managing partner. That same year, Thrifty Building Supply opened its Door Shop in Olive Branch, Mississippi, fulfilling Mark and Farrell’s long-time dream of extending the company’s offerings to include custom doors and millwork. Since that time, Richard has managed the Door Shop, in addition to overseeing sales and working closely with Mark on business development.

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Under Evans and Coopers’ combined leadership, Thrifty Building Supply now has almost 100 employees and serves builders throughout west Tennessee and north Mississippi.

According to Evans, Cooper has been an integral asset to the organization and is well-positioned to take over its leadership. “I know I’m leaving the business in good hands with Richard,” said Evans. “We share the same values and beliefs, as well as the philosophy that when you provide excellent service, the sales will follow.”

Cooper has spent most of his career in the industry in Memphis.

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Elizabeth Duke with John Duke Homes said, “John has worked with Richard forever and we don’t have to worry about anything, we know we are going to get what we need. Richard is extremely knowledgeable and has a meticulous eye for detail. As for customer service, they go above and beyond what we expect.”

Cooper said, “I plan to maintain the same values of the family business that the Evans family started and keep this environment as a great place to work. We see ourselves as an extension of our customers, helping them to manage their jobs and be proactive and offer solutions. This is really what sets us apart, it is the Thrifty Difference. We are focused on building relationships and delivering value.”

Thrifty Building Supply currently has four locations in the Mid-South, but Cooper feels there are opportunities to grow and expand the business. They are purchasing more vehicles and are focused on hiring at least 20 new employees to help service their customers.

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