What Viking Electric Supply does

Viking Electric Supply, LLC is a regional wholesale distributor of electrical products and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonepar USA Holdings, Inc. (itself part of the privately held France-based Sonepar Group). Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company operates 23+ branch locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Chicago metropolitan area (Chicago operations run under the retained Sunrise Electric brand following the 2023 acquisition of Sunrise Electric Supply Inc.). Viking distributes approximately 21 major product categories including control and automation, power distribution, lighting and lighting controls, wire and cable, electrical boxes and covers, tools and instruments, safety products, solar products, and EV charging equipment, sourced from brands such as Siemens, Square-D/Schneider, and Woodhead.

The company's revenue model is hardware sales to professional electrical contractors serving residential, commercial, industrial, and renewables end markets. Go-to-market combines physical branches with an open-store concept allowing self-service selection from showroom and warehouse shelves, counter-sales support, project management and logistics services (Pro Logistics), and a full e-commerce platform with account-based pricing and integrated online bill pay. The customer base is horizontally segmented across contractor types rather than concentrated on named enterprise accounts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers must register an account or request a quote.

Viking's strategic posture has been expansionary over the last five years: it absorbed Brook Electrical Supply's three Chicago branches in 2020, acquired Sunrise Electric Supply in October 2023 (adding $138M of 2022 revenue and switchgear specialization), opened a new Wisconsin branch in Oak Creek in January 2025, and replaced its President in August 2025 with an executive recruited from US LBM Holdings. The company has not raised external funding, is privately held under Sonepar's corporate umbrella, and does not disclose consolidated revenue.

Name

Viking Electric Supply

Legal name

Viking Electric Supply, LLC

Website

https://vikingelectric.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Viking Electric Supply is a Minneapolis-based wholesale distributor of electrical products — including control & automation, power distribution, lighting, wire, and EV charging — serving residential, commercial, industrial, and renewables contractors across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago under the Viking and Sunrise Electric brands, as a subsidiary of Sonepar USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Supply Distribution

NAICS

Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers (42372), Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42385)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Electrical supply distribution
• Wholesale electrical products
• Lighting and controls
• Power distribution equipment
• Electrical contractor supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrical Products Distribution: Viking Electric generates revenue through the distribution of electrical products including control & automation, power distribution, lighting, wire & cable, tools, and instruments to electrical contractors across residential, commercial, industrial, and renewables markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Viking Electric Supply is a wholesale electrical distribution company operating more than 23 branch locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago, selling electrical products—including control & automation, power distribution, lighting, wire & cable, tools, instruments, safety products, solar products, and EV charging equipment—to electrical contractors serving residential, commercial, industrial, and renewable energy markets. The company supplements physical branch sales with a 24/7 e-commerce platform and value-added services such as project management/logistics, lighting solutions, EV charging solutions, industrial solutions, and solar solutions.

Product overview

Viking Electric Supply is an electrical distribution company operating 24 branch locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago (under the Sunrise Electric brand). The company offers an e-commerce platform alongside comprehensive specialty services including Digital Solutions, EV Charging Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Lighting Solutions, Pro Logistics Services, and Solar Solutions. Their core product offering encompasses 21 major electrical supply categories including Control & Automation, Power Distribution, Lighting & Lighting Controls, Wire/Cables, Electrical Boxes/Covers, Tools & Instruments, Safety Products, Solar Products, and Electric Vehicle Charging equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Viking Electric E-Commerce Platform Online platform for browsing and purchasing electrical supplies, featuring account management, order tracking, and digital tools for project management across Viking Electric's Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago locations.
• Digital Solutions Digital tools and services designed to streamline day-to-day tasks for electrical contractors and professionals, including account-based pricing, online ordering, and project management tools.
• EV Charging Solutions Specialty service for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, providing product sales and installation support for residential, commercial, and industrial EV charging projects.
• Industrial Solutions Industrial automation and control service offering drives, PLCs, sensors, and connectivity devices for manufacturing and industrial applications, supported by Viking Electric's technical sales associates.
• Lighting Solutions Comprehensive lighting products and services including indoor and outdoor fixtures, LED solutions, emergency lighting, and lighting controls, paired with project-level product selection support for contractors.
• Pro Logistics Services Project-management and logistical services that support complex electrical projects and coordinate job-site deliveries, including material staging and on-site drops.
• Solar Solutions Solar products and solutions including PV modules, inverters, racking, balance-of-systems components, and installation support for solar installers and renewable-energy contractors.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sunrise Electric Supply Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2023Viking Electric acquired Sunrise Electric Supply Inc. of Addison, Illinois, in October 2023. The acquisition expanded Viking Electric's presence in the Chicago market, which is the second largest electrical market in the country. Sunrise Electric had $138 million in 2022 sales and 80+ associates. The company now operates in Chicago under the Sunrise Electric name, leveraging Sunrise's 38-year history and brand recognition in the area. The combined team includes Don Chriske (former owner, leading Chicagoland sales) and Jeff Byrd (operations lead).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rexel USA: US arm of global electrical distributor Rexel Group, operating a large national branch network selling the same core categories (lighting, wire/cable, power distribution, controls) to electrical contractors. Closest large-scale direct competitor to Viking Electric's model.
• Border States Electric: Employee-owned regional electrical distributor with branches across the Upper Midwest, Mountain West, and South. Comparable to Viking in operating model, contractor customer base, and product categories.
• Werner Electric Supply: Minnesota-headquartered regional electrical distributor serving commercial, industrial, and residential contractors. Direct geographic overlap with Viking's core Minnesota/Wisconsin footprint and a near-identical product portfolio.
• Crescent Electric Supply: Midwest-based regional electrical distributor with a comparable branch-based model serving contractors in residential, commercial, and industrial markets. Highly comparable to Viking in customer mix, product breadth, and go-to-market approach.
• Kendall Electric: Michigan-based regional electrical distributor with branches across the Midwest. Similar in size, business model, and customer base to Viking Electric, serving the same contractor end market.
• Madison Electric: Michigan- and Ohio-based electrical distributor serving industrial, commercial, and residential contractors. Direct overlap with Viking in the Midwest contractor channel and core product categories.
• Richards Electric Supply: Regional electrical distributor serving the Midwest and Southeast with branch-based contractor distribution. Comparable in scale and operating approach to Viking Electric.

Broad incumbents

• Graybar: One of the largest employee-owned electrical, communications, and data networking distributors in North America with hundreds of branches nationwide. Overlaps heavily with Viking on core electrical products but at materially larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Sonepar USA (corporate): Viking's parent organization, which operates numerous other US electrical distribution banners (e.g., World Electric, Cooper Electric, North Coast Electric). Relevant as the broader corporate platform Viking operates within and as a source of strategic context.

Regional players

• EIS (Electrical Insulation Suppliers / Essential Industrial Solutions): Specialty electrical distributor focused on electrical and electronic consumables, automation, and adjacent categories for contractors and industrial customers. Partial overlap with Viking's industrial and automation offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VikingElectricSupply
• Facebookfacebook.com/vikingelectricsupply
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/viking-electric-supply
• Instagraminstagram.com/vikingelectricsupply
• Xx.com/vikingelectric

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Viking Electric Supply