Ferguson Ventures, the corporate venture arm of distributor Ferguson, has led an $8.5 million funding round for Ply, an inventory and purchasing platform for trade contractors, as distributors intensify efforts to digitize jobsite replenishment and reduce costly material delays.
Primary and SignalFire also participated in the round, which establishes a deeper collaboration between Ferguson and Ply to automate reordering and give both contractors and suppliers real-time visibility into inventory levels. The investment is the 20th for Ferguson Ventures, reinforcing its focus on tools that boost productivity in the trades.
Materials typically account for up to a third of a contractor’s revenue, and even small breakdowns in manual tracking can erode margins. Ply aims to replace whiteboards and spreadsheets with automated systems tied directly to supplier networks.
“Ferguson Ventures invests in technologies that help the specialized trade professional run more efficient, profitable businesses,” said Blake Luse, managing director of Ferguson Ventures. “Together we’re driving innovation, so pros have what they need on the jobsite to successfully deliver projects and keep their customers happy.”
Founded in 2022, the New York-based startup says it supports hundreds of contractor teams. Users report improvements in labor productivity and inventory accuracy, including a 20% increase in billable work, dead stock reduced below 15%, and 10 to 15 hours saved weekly per operations staff member, according to Ply.
CEO and co-founder Dave Wigder said Ferguson’s involvement brings operational expertise and user credibility that can accelerate the shift toward automated replenishment. “Contractors deserve systems that work as hard as they do,” he said. “This collaboration gives teams tools shaped by how the trades really operate.”
Ply’s leadership team draws from Amazon, Stash, Vendr and PathAI, blending experience in product design, logistics and field operations. The company plans to use the latest funding to expand integrations with field service and accounting platforms and strengthen supplier partnerships.
For Ferguson — a $30.8 billion distributor with about 1,700 North American locations — the investment is part of a broader digital strategy to reduce friction in the supply chain and ensure materials keep pace with construction timelines.
As labor shortages persist and service contractors take on more complex scopes, distributors and investors see automated replenishment as a key advantage in a market still dominated by manual workflows.
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