Company History
Founded in 1927
In 1927 Frank McCoy moved his family and a small contract roofing business from the big city of Houston to Galveston, Texas, and the McCoy Roofing Company was born. In the 1940s, Frank's son, Emmett, took an active interest in the family business with a vision of selling roofing and other building materials directly to the general public, and McCoy's entered the retail business with the McCoy Supply Company.
When Frank retired in 1950, Emmett became president of both McCoy Roofing and McCoy Supply. He promptly expanded the product mix at McCoy Supply Company and opened a second store near Texas City, Texas, in 1960. “This was a new and untested business model,” says current CEO Brian McCoy, “but I witnessed firsthand my Dad’s will to make it a success.”
The Next 60 Years
In 1961 Hurricane Carla hit the Texas Gulf Coast and caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage. While many businesses engaged in opportunistic pricing in the period that preceded and followed the storm, Emmett McCoy refused to take advantage of his customers. Emmett's fair dealings furthered McCoy's position as a community pillar, a standard to which the company still holds itself today.
In the aftermath of Carla, redevelopment caused McCoy's sales to reach the $1 million mark for the first time. Emmett discontinued the contract roofing business in 1964 and with it the roofing company. At the same time, he added lumber to the company's inventory, making McCoy Supply Company a true building supply retailer. Not long after, Emmett added a third store to the chain and McCoy's Building Supply Centers were born.
The McCoy family relocated to San Marcos in 1972, and by the mid 1970s, Emmett’s three sons, Michael, Brian and Dennis, joined their Dad in the company’s expansion. “After graduating from college in the mid ‘70s, my brothers and I became the third generation to lead McCoy’s,” recalls Brian. “I’m so glad my older brother, Mike, had a passion for the business. My younger brother Dennis and I simply followed his lead.”
McCoy’s continued to flourish despite strong competition, but tragedy struck the family when Dennis McCoy died in a plane crash on the way to visit a McCoy’s store location in 1985. In a statement released the day after the 28-year-old’s death, Emmett and sons Mike and Brian praised Dennis’ contributions while reassuring the company’s employees. “We plan to operate the business and continue to grow. The three of us feel handicapped without Dennis, but we believe our future is still bright.”
McCoy’s enjoyed growth and success in the ‘80s and 90’s but by 1995 the incredible expansion of Home Depot and Lowes threatened the company’s very existence. “We adjusted our business plan and dug in for tough times,” explains Brian, “and we persevered.” When Emmett retired in 1997, he and his sons had grown the company to over 100 locations in Texas and beyond.
Brian McCoy became CEO and President of the company in 2001 when Mike retired after 30 years of full-time service, having helped prepare McCoy’s for the New Millennium. In 2007 Meagan McCoy Jones joined her father as the fourth generation to be involved in the company’s leadership.
McCoy's Enters Its Ninth Decade
McCoy’s currently operates 85 Building Supply locations, two McCoy’s Millworks facilities and two internal distribution centers within a three-state area. The McCoy family firmly believes the company’s core values create a culture that is the secret to its success. With empowered leaders, stores that are team led, and employees who want to create a relationship with the people who walk in the front door, McCoy’s is committed to know and care for its customers in addition to serving their building supply needs.
In 2015, Brian’s son Reid joined the company full-time, taking a more active role on McCoy’s Board of Directors, and concentrating on the operations of McCoy Remme Ranches, the interests of the McCoy Foundation, and other family business concerns. At that time, Brian shared, “Today we are still family-owned, strong, growing and relevant. With both Meagan and Reid’s involvement, we have the next generation deeply involved and charting our company’s path into the future.”
McCoy’s Building Supply continued to expand over the next 5 years, developing new ways to serve its customers including rolling out their Buy Online, Pickup in Store option in 2020 while navigating a global pandemic. In 2022, Brian McCoy retired from his role as CEO after 50 years with the company to serve solely as Board Chairman. Meagan McCoy Jones succeeded her father as President and CEO becoming the 4th generation of her family to lead McCoy’s Building Supply.
“A company like ours doesn’t succeed over this many decades without hard work, hustle, and the deep loyalty of our team and trust of our customers. I’ve grown up at McCoy’s with the patience, help, and support of so many. Through them I fell in love with our business and industry,” said Jones. “Being a private, family company is an advantage and privilege, and we don’t take that for granted. We continue to invest in upgrading stores, building stores in new markets, and growing our distribution, manufacturing, and delivery service so customers can count on McCoy’s for decades to come.”
You can learn more about how our company operates today and our values.
If you’d like to learn more about the history of McCoy’s, you can read an expanded version of our Company History by clicking here: McCoy’s Building Supply - The McCoy Story.