HVAC supplies distribution cooperative Johnstone Supply recently celebrated the opening of its 400th location in Toms River, NJ and will surpass that mark this fall with a new location in Topeka, KS.
The Toms River location at 10001 Corporate Blvd. is Johnstone Supply's sixth location in the greater northern New Jersey area owned by the Zimmermann family, owner-operators of the Kenilworth Group — one of the Johnstone co-op's leading members.
The branch is 12,500 square feet, which includes 4,000 square feet of showroom space and 8,500 square feet of warehouse.
Johnstone Supply said the Toms River store is" just one part of a continuing program to remodel and relocate their facilities to larger locations to keep up with their growing business."
On Monday, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Johnstone's Omaha-based group — owned by Kim and MaryAnn Cafferty — is expanding into Kansas with a new location in Topeka this fall, the group's first location in the state.
The Cafferty group has four locations in Nebraska and three in Iowa, and will reportedly invest about $900,000 in the Topeka store at 241 SW 32nd Terrace, which was formerly a branch of Grainger that closed in October 2015. The Capital-Journal said owner Kim Cafferty bought the building this month for about $700,000 and will invest another $200,000 to remodel it. Part of that cost will go towards expanding the showroom from its current 2,000 square feet up to about 5,000 square feet.
Cafferty said the Topeka branch will have four or five employees.
