Strong Core Values Win the Race

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter 

Hear about ABC Supply's commitment to its Core Values and the importance the company places on giving back to the community. 

In Season 4, Episode 24 of Roofing Road Trips, Heidi J. Ellsworth visits with Rich Thompson, director of marketing and national business development at ABC Supply, to celebrate the company’s forty-year anniversary. The two discuss ABC Supply’s Indy 500 partnership with Homes For Our Troops and the company's fierce commitment to giving back to the community. 

Rich has been with ABC Supply for 15 of the 40 years that the company has been in business, but he has been in the industry for around 22 years, previously working at a manufacturer. “I do a little bit of everything with ABC Supply, whatever the customers and our associates need,” says Rich. “I run our marketing and advertising department, and I lead our sales development team as well as our national accounts team working in the field, just trying to support our branches and our customers in any possible way.” 

One of the biggest reasons Rich loves his job so much is the commitment the company has to its Core Values, especially Give Back. “We're built on a set of seven Core Values: Respect; Opportunity; Work Hard, Have Fun; Entrepreneurial Spirit; Family; Give Back; and American Pride,” says Rich. “We've always given back to the community, whether it be local charities like food drives and soup kitchens or clothing drives. Our branches are always involved. It's really exciting to be part of a company that firmly believes in giving back.” 

ABC Supply is heavily involved in supporting Homes For Our Troops, a nonprofit dedicated to building and donating specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, enabling them to rebuild their lives. “This is so near and dear to many of our hearts, but Diane Hendricks, our founder, wants us to work with Veterans in any possible way that we can,” says Rich. “Being a multimillion-dollar, multiyear sponsor of Homes For Our Troops has been very meaningful for us.” 

That is why ABC Supply has decided to sponsor car #11 for the Indy 500 in the name of Homes For Our Troops. “We were all sitting around the table one day and we started thinking, well, what else could we do?” says Rich. 

Until May 30, ABC Supply will match donations to Homes For Our Troops — up to $1 million dollars. To donate, visit www.hfotusa.org. “Donate money and we'll match,” confirms Rich. “So that's really the start of it, to have an American flag car, owned by AJ Foyt Racing, for Homes For Our Troops driving down the Indy 500 speedway. There's nothing more that we can do in my mind to honor America than honor our Veterans.” 

Listen to the entire podcast to learn more about how ABC Supply follows their values of Giving Back and American Pride by supporting Homes For Our Troops. 

Learn more about ABC Supply in their RoofersCoffeeShop® directory or visit www.abcsupply.com.