The Gourley Company was incorporated as R. L. Gourley Company in 1953.  Its founder, Bob Gourley, was the Ruud District Sales Manager in New England when Ruud decided to close its district offices and market its water heaters through what came to be know as Ruud Basic Distributors.  As with many other Ruud District Sales managers, Gourley became the Ruud Basic Distributor for New England.

As the business grew it moved from Newton to Wellesley and finally in 1987 to Waltham - just outside of Boston.

During its early years, Mr. Gourley worked with gas utility companies to develop water heater rental programs for people living in “cold water flats” (multi-family dwellings without hot water service).  For $1.95 per month, people who had been heating water on their kitchen stove, received a Ruud water heater and had one hot water tap installed.

“Bob Gourley was the consummate water heater salesman,” said Bob Shupe, who bought the company in 1975.  “His name was synonymous with water heating so I didn’t even think of changing the company name!”

In the last half of the seventies, Shupe reshaped Gourley’s operations, by adding other commercial products and focusing on plumbing engineers and the commercial market.  A substantial number of stocking wholesalers have also come aboard through the 70’s and beyond.

Gourley Company is a UL authorized conversion site for changing electrical characteristics on commercial electric heaters.  The company also converts natural gas to LP heaters and maintains a service and repair facility.

Over the years we have acquired other equipment lines, mostly HVAC products, but our focus does not wander much from the domestic hot water, i.e. not only gas fired Ruud & Rypak but Adamson steam & boiler water heated units, ASME storage tanks & Shipco stainless steel storage tanks.

“The Key to Gourley’s success in the water heater business has been our people,” Bob Shupe pointed out.  “Our average employee has 15 years with our company and we are very grateful for the strong support we have received from our employees, our customers, and certainly the engineering community.