Eagle Sales was founded in 1982 by Bill Kobeck after the fastener distributor that he was working for decided to close its Memphis branch. Rather than relocate with that distributor, Bill decided to keep his family in Memphis and look for other employment. Bill had almost twenty years of experience in the fastener industry by this time, and a reputation for giving all of his customers the best possible service. Over the next couple of weeks, he was contacted by many of these customers, who encouraged him to start his own company to supply their fastener needs. Each of them pledged their support.
In just a few weeks, Bill opened Eagle Sales Company, Inc. in a small garage in his parents’ back yard. It didn’t take long to outgrow the tiny building, and soon Eagle Sales moved to a modestly sized building of 3,500 square feet in the old Mallory Air Force Depot off of Jackson Avenue.
In those early years, Bill’s mother, father, brother and sister worked for him, and soon his wife Carolyn joined them to work inside sales. In 1987, Bill added his brother-in-law Don Wooldridge to the team. Don brought almost 30 years of fastener and sales experience with him. Don’s wife, Patsy, also joined the team, and took over the day to day accounting duties.
With a top notch team, hard work, and the knowledge that only comes with years of experience in the industry, Eagle Sales once again had to move to a larger building. In 1989, another building in the depot was leased, which had approximately 13,000 square feet. Eagle Sales’ home office remained there, at 1340 Farmville Road, for the next 18 years, expanding into the adjoining suites as tenants moved out. The work force grew to 35 employees in that time, as well.
1994 brought an additional opportunity for growth. After servicing many electrical contractors in the metro area with their fasteners, we sought to meet their needs with electrical supplies as well. Randy Hoard joined the team in 1995, and was soon promoted to V.P. of Eagle Sales’ electrical division.
In 1996, with several large accounts in Northeast Arkansas, the decision was made to add an additional facility in Paragould, Arkansas. It was operated by one employee, who pulled the orders and made the deliveries to those customers. In 2004, it was relocated to Jonesboro, Arkansas, and turned into a full working branch that has since closed.
Eagle Sales’ third location opened in 1998 in Jackson, Tennessee. Now located in Henderson, Tennessee, this branch, which serves Jackson and West Tennessee, is staffed by 3 employees.
Memorial Day Weekend 2007 was one of the most exciting times in our history. After many years of talk of owning our own building and moving to a more centrally-located area, our dreams were realized when we moved into our new, 39,500 square foot building at 5100 Raleigh La Grange Road. This new location was more convenient for our customers who pick up their orders, and moved us a little further east as Memphis grew in that direction.
Our founder has since gone on to be with the Lord, but he left a legacy that touched the lives of his employees, as well as his customers. He was a very kind and incredibly generous man, who always saw the good in all people. He believed in family, and was always there for them when needed.
Bill’s son, Mark, is the acting President at Eagle Sales and Randy Hoard is the Vice President. Mark grew up around the fastener industry, and has almost 30 years of experience. They are surrounded by an incredible team of warehouse, accounting and sales personnel that have made Eagle Sales an industry leader. It is everyone’s goal at Eagle Sales to live up to the legacy set forth by Bill Kobeck, and to continue to offer the same level of service and expertise that began this incredible journey.
