The Home Depot enhanced its ability to reach the professional contractor community with its recent blockbuster acquisition of interior materials supplier GMS Inc. The company’s acquisition of SRS Distribution a little more than a year earlier was instrumental to sealing the overall deal. RC Publisher Jill Bloom recently spoke with Dan Tinker, President and CEO of SRS Distribution, and JT Turner, President and CEO of Gypsum Management and Supply (GMS), to discuss the industry-shaping news.

Tinker, Turner Discuss Home Depot/GMS Acquisition

A key theme throughout the discussion was innovation—particularly in artificial intelligence. SRS has already deployed AI tools to streamline ordering, anticipate customer needs, and improve efficiency. With The Home Depot’s resources, those capabilities are set to expand dramatically, freeing employees from repetitive tasks and enabling faster, more creative service.

Both leaders emphasized that the deal is less about disruption and more about acceleration. Tinker explained that SRS and GMS have long operated with strikingly similar values, cultures, and growth models. “We’ve admired each other for years,” he said, noting that the two companies even share private equity roots. “This was the perfect opportunity to bring sister companies together under The Home Depot umbrella.”

Turner agreed, highlighting the customer-first mindset that unites the organizations.

“When both companies think about the customer before anything else, you don’t run into problems you can’t solve,” he said. For GMS, the acquisition means access to The Home Depot’s vast portfolio, supplier relationships, and capital strength—tools that will allow them to expand faster and better serve contractors.

Addressing the question of branding, Tinker confirmed that GMS will retain its name, just as SRS and Heritage (SRS’s outdoor division) have kept theirs. While a national account team will coordinate efforts across verticals, the individual brands will preserve their market identity and goodwill.

Both executives pointed to expansion, acquisitions, and new technologies as reasons why career paths and wealth-building opportunities will only increase. Turner echoed that sentiment, stressing that front-line employees, from sales reps to delivery drivers, will see their roles strengthened as customer demand grows. Watch the full conversation here.