City Electric Supply

What City Electric Supply does

City Electric Supply (CES) is a third-generation, family-owned electrical wholesale distributor founded in 1983 in Tampa, Florida and now headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company operates an extensive distribution network of 677+ physical branches across 32 US states, supported by more than 1,250 delivery vehicles and approximately 2,500–3,400 employees. CES sells a catalog of over 250,000 electrical products to residential contractors, commercial businesses, industrial facilities, government entities, manufacturers, and leisure-sector customers. The company maintains a hybrid distribution model that combines physical branch locations — each with local inventory and pricing autonomy — with an e-commerce platform offering delivery, trade account management, and online branch pickup.

CES's product portfolio spans power distribution, wire and cable, lighting, conduit and strut, automation and control, EV charging stations, generators, tools and testers, surge suppression, and data communications. The company augments its catalog with differentiated services including Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS), a data-driven industrial digitalization service built in partnership with Siemens Digital Industries, and the CES One-Line Service for panelboards and switchboards, where CES staff are trained by Siemens to deliver engineered assemblies from diagram to completion. Other specialized services include Wire Services (custom cuts, paralleling, $0 reel charge), CES Exports, Government Services Administration, Corporate & National Solutions, and Marine Solutions.

CES makes money primarily through wholesale and retail transactions on electrical supplies, augmented by trade account credit terms and special pricing programs available at 650+ locations. Trade account holders receive credit terms (Net 16th of month), special pricing, online ordering, and free on-site delivery, while retail customers receive free delivery on orders over $40 and a 10% first-order promotion. The company has grown organically since founding — reaching 50 branches in 1996, 100 in 2000, 200 in 2005, 300 in 2007, 350 in 2008, 400 in 2015, and 450 in 2018 — reflecting a deliberate multi-decade physical expansion strategy rather than acquisition-driven scaling. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company is privately held with no institutional or venture capital involvement.

Name

City Electric Supply

Legal name

City Electric Supply Company

Website

https://cityelectricsupply.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

City Electric Supply is a third-generation family-owned electrical wholesale distributor operating 677+ branches across 32 US states. It sells 250,000+ electrical products and specialized services to residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers through trade accounts, online ordering, and branch pickup.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Wholesale Distribution

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrical Supplies Retail (Wiring, Switches, Breakers, Conduit) (CRAIADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charging Infrastructure Components (connectors, cables, dispensers, payment/controls) (IMAGAHAH), Grid Interconnection, Power Quality & Electrical Infrastructure Service (Transformers, Switchgear) (TLAKAMAM)

Keywords

• Electrical wholesale distribution
• Electrical supplies
• Power distribution equipment
• Industrial automation solutions
• EV charging equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electrical Supplies Wholesale: Sale of electrical supplies including wire, cable, lighting, power distribution, tools, generators, EV charging stations, and related equipment to trade accounts and retail customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

City Electric Supply distributes electrical supplies, equipment, and specialized services—including power distribution, wire and cable, lighting, EV charging stations, generators, automation and control, tools, and surge protection—through 677-701 physical branches across 32 U.S. states and an integrated e-commerce platform. Trade account holders receive credit terms, special pricing, free local delivery, and online ordering with branch pickup or jobsite delivery. Specialized services include Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS) and CES One-Line Service, both delivered with Siemens partnership and training.

Product overview

City Electric Supply (CES) is a family-owned electrical wholesale distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of electrical supplies, equipment, and services. The company operates over 700 branches across 32 states with more than 2,500 employees. Their product portfolio spans 250,000+ products across categories including power distribution, wire & cable, lighting, conduit/ducts/strut, automation & control, EV charging stations, generators, tools/testers, surge suppression, and data communications. CES complements its product offerings with specialized services including Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS) for data-driven industrial digitalization in partnership with Siemens, and CES One-Line Service for panelboards and switchboards. Additional services include wire services (custom cuts, paralleling), Branch Pickup for convenient local fulfillment, exports, government services administration, corporate/national solutions, and marine solutions. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, government, manufacturing, and leisure markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CES Cares: Social impact division of City Electric Supply, created in 2016 to unify charitable and volunteer efforts. Has raised more than $5 million in charitable donations.

Products and services

• Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS) Data-driven industrial digitalization service connecting real-world automation and controls, enabling customers to support and supply power through data-driven digitalization. Offered in partnership with Siemens Digital Industries. Targeted at industrial and commercial buyers seeking automation and control system support.
• CES One-Line Service Panelboard and switchboard assembly and engineering service built right and built fast. Staff trained by Siemens, providing a one-stop shop from diagram to completion in days. Targeted at electrical contractors and industrial/commercial buyers.
• Wire Services Custom cuts, paralleling, full color range, and $0 reel charge for wire, cord, and cable products. Targeted at electrical contractors and trade customers needing customized wire/cable preparation.
• Branch Pickup Service allowing customers to view branch inventory at their specialized trade account pricing online, place orders online (including after hours), and pick up at their local CES branch. Targeted at trade accounts and retail customers seeking local convenience.
• CES Exports International export services for City Electric Supply's electrical supplies, enabling cross-border shipment of products to customers outside the U.S.
• Government Services Administration Dedicated government procurement and contracting services supporting federal, state, and local government electrical supply needs, including GSA scheduling and compliance-based procurement.
• Corporate & National Solutions National account and corporate procurement solutions providing multi-site customers with centralized electrical supply procurement, consistent pricing, and coordinated fulfillment across the CES branch network.
• Marine Solutions Electrical supplies and solutions tailored for marine applications, providing products and expertise for vessels, shipyards, and waterfront facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 677 physical branch locations for local service
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SiemenscoreTechnology or IntegrationSiemens Digital Industries partnership for Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS) connecting real-world automation and controls through data-driven industrial digitalization. Also partnered for CES One-Line Service where staff are trained by Siemens for panelboards and switchboards.
• Make-A-WishminorOthersCES Cares charitable initiative partnered with Make-A-Wish. Company and branches raise funds and host events to grant wishes for children with critical illnesses. Raised over $500,000 for Make-A-Wish.
• American Red CrossminorOthersCES Cares disaster relief partnership. Donated $500,000 to support American Red Cross disaster response efforts.
• Children's Medical CenterminorOthersCES Cares charitable partnership supporting pediatric healthcare.
• Dallas Children's Advocacy CenterminorOthersCES Cares partnership supporting back-to-school drives and children who have experienced abuse. Distributed 12,000 backpacks stuffed with school supplies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Amazon Business: Online B2B marketplace offering electrical supplies, MRO items, and bulk procurement. Emerging threat to traditional branch-based distributors like CES, particularly on long-tail SKUs and small-order customers, though lacking local service and credit terms.

Direct peers

• Border States Electric: Employee-owned electrical distributor serving utility, contractor, and industrial customers across the US. Overlapping product categories and similar reliance on trade-account credit terms and branch network.
• Summit Electric Supply: Employee-owned electrical distributor with branches across the US Southwest, South, and overseas. Similar product portfolio and customer base to CES, including industrial and contractor segments.
• Werner Electric Supply: Regional Midwest US electrical distributor offering wire, lighting, automation, and power distribution. Comparable customer base of industrial and commercial contractors with similar trade-account model.
• Rexel USA: One of the largest electrical distributors in North America with a multi-branch network selling wire, lighting, power distribution, and automation. Closely comparable product breadth, trade-account program, and contractor focus.
• Crescent Electric Supply Company: Mid-size US electrical distributor with branch network across multiple states. Comparable product mix (wire, lighting, power distribution, automation) and trade-account model targeting contractors and industrials.
• Sonepar USA: Global electrical distribution leader operating across the US through brands like Cooper Electric and Capital Light. Directly comparable wholesale electrical supply distribution model serving contractors and industrial customers with similar branch-based and trade-account GTM.
• Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED): Cooperative electrical wholesaler with a large US branch network. Directly competes with CES on electrical supplies for contractors and industrial customers across similar geographies.
• Graybar Electric Company: Employee-owned US electrical and comm-datacom distributor with hundreds of branches. Comparable in product portfolio (wire/cable, lighting, power distribution, automation) and customer mix of contractors, industrials, and government.

Broad incumbents

• Eaton (Electrical Distributor-facing business): Global power management manufacturer whose electrical distribution products flow through distributors like CES. Comparable only as a channel partner/upstream supplier, not a same-model competitor, but its brand presence shapes CES's product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CityElectricUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cityelectricsupply
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-electric-supply
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityelectricsupplyusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City Electric Supply