Media - Press Release

For Immediate Release
September 23, 2008

Gift from Wolseley honors Clemson alumnus David Peebles

CLEMSON — A $150,000 gift from Wolseley North America to Clemson University’s Michelin Career Center will honor Clemson alumnus David Peebles with the naming of the David Peebles Room in the Hendrix Student Center.

Peebles, who graduated from Clemson in 1949 with a degree in economics, was the second president of Ferguson Enterprises, an operating company in Wolseley’s North America Division. The David Peebles Room, located on the second floor of the Hendrix Student Center, is a multipurpose room used for meetings, student activities, receptions and special events.

“Ferguson is pleased to honor David Peebles by dedicating a room in his honor at Clemson University,” said John Stegeman, president and CEO of Ferguson. “David has left an immeasurable legacy to Ferguson, and it is only fitting that we honor him with a legacy to Clemson students. By investing in the future of students, there is no doubt that Clemson will produce more great business minds like David Peebles.”

Under Peebles’ leadership, Ferguson grew to be an industry leader by idealizing the American dream of owning and operating a business. Ferguson managers who started locations under their own names were entrepreneurs who structured their businesses based on local market demands. Peebles instituted the Management Training Program, which was designed to attract the best and brightest the work force had to offer. Peebles’ philosophy of aggressive expansion and his vision of what the company could become served Ferguson well during this period of growth. By 1982, when the company was acquired by Wolseley, Ferguson had 76 locations in 11 states. Today Ferguson operates just under 1,400 locations.

The gift will be used to maintain and enhance programs the Michelin Career Center offers to students and corporate recruiters. Wolseley also will be recognized for the gift with the naming of the Wolseley Interview Room in the Michelin Career Center, located on the third floor of the Hendrix Student Center.

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For further information, contact: communications@ferguson.com

Ferguson
Headquartered in Newport News, Va., Ferguson is a leading wholesale distributor of plumbing supplies; pipes, valves and fittings; heating and cooling equipment; waterworks; and appliances; tools and safety equipment; and fire protection products. Ferguson has sales of $9.1 billion and approximately 17,000 associates in approximately 1,350 service centers located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean. For more information, visit www.ferguson.com.

Ferguson is part of Wolseley plc, the world's largest specialist trade distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and a leading supplier of building materials to the professional markets. Group revenue for the year ended July 31, 2009, was approximately $22.6 billion and trading profit, before exceptional items and amortization and impairment of acquired intangibles was $702 million. At July year-end, Wolseley had around 51,000 employees operating in 27 countries namely: U.K., U.S., France, Canada, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Slovak Republic, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Barbados and Greenland. Wolseley plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: WOS) and is in the FTSE 100 index of listed companies.

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