Business outlook brightens at Gulfeagle

In another sign that the housing market is improving, Jim Resch, the founder and CEO of Tampa-based Gulfeagle Supply Inc., a building material distributor and one of the Business Review's 2012 Gulf Coast 500, predicts that his business will grow in 2013.

“We expect it to be better than 2012,” he says. His estimate is for a 6% to 8% increase in revenue. “It's not going to go off like a rocket or anything,” says Resch.

Gulfeagle, which ranked 37th on the list of the top 500 Gulf Coast companies by revenue, also plans to grow its national footprint. “We do expect an acquisition or two,” he says. “We expect [2013] from a business standpoint to be a fairly good year.” However, Resch remains reserved about the influence the government could have, saying a lot depends on what happens with the so-called fiscal cliff, and whether business taxes rise substantially.

Gulfeagle distributes residential and commercial roofing and other building products. It has grown from a single location in 1973 to 60 locations nationwide today. Acquisitions, and a breadth of products from drywall to fireplaces, have helped the company grow. In 2011, Gulfeagle reported $435 million in gross revenue, a 2.2% decline from the 2010 level.