Ferguson’s Interactive 60th Anniversary

Situation

Ferguson is a leading plumbing and PVF distributor with a long history in southern Virginia. As Ferguson approached its 60th anniversary after several tumultuous years, it sought the assistance of the History Factory team to celebrate its legacy, recognize its associates and preserve every part of its history.

Solution

History Factory worked with Ferguson to develop a bank of 40 heritage stories and a series of heritage videos and oral histories with its CEOs. An interactive website gathered additional stories from associates across the country, capturing accounts from nearly all of Ferguson’s founders and CEOs for a total 200 stories about the company from its people.

After a successful anniversary year, Ferguson sought to continue its successful focus on heritage and engaged History Factory to convert the original lobby of its first headquarters building into a heritage center and event space. The exhibits celebrate the story of Ferguson from its founding to the present, as well as the people who make up the company today. The displays are custom designed to marry the original woodwork of the lobby with pipes and plumbing parts sold by Ferguson, including some of the company’s actual plumbing products. The space opened in summer 2016 and is flexible enough to allow for seated dinners of up to 175 people.

To ensure the long-term preservation of its history, Ferguson also contracted with History Factory to assess and process its archival collection.

Results

Ferguson learned the value of its history through its anniversary work and has capitalized on it for the long term with its heritage center—a space where trainees, employees and guests can learn the company’s stories and celebrate the associates who have helped make it what it is today—secure in the knowledge that its past is accessible in the present and safe for the future. 

The online discovery program brought in 200 story submissions, a History Factory record. Ferguson made extensive use of the content bank we created, material from which has appeared in its newsletters, websites, internal programs and speeches.

Interested in learning the value of your history? Get in touch.

Head over to our creative brand portfolio to see more of our work on the exhibit.