What Capital Electric does

Capital Electric Supply (legal entity Capital Lighting & Supply, LLC) is a Mid-Atlantic and Southeast US electrical distribution company headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sonepar USA Holdings, Inc. The company distributes a broad catalog of electrical products across more than twenty categories — including control and automation, power distribution, lighting and lighting controls, wire and cable, data and communication systems, safety products, tools and instruments, enclosures, electrical fittings, solar products, electric vehicle charging, and welding equipment — to commercial, residential, industrial, government, lighting, and OEM customers across seven states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia).

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining a 70+ branch physical network with field sales and an e-commerce platform offering account-based online ordering, in-branch pickup, and flexible delivery. Its proprietary Digital Job Center portal serves as a project-management tool for commercial customers, while value-added services such as pre-cut wire, kitting, custom packaging, labeling, vendor-managed inventory, and warehousing/assembly/fabrication deepen engagement with contractor and OEM accounts. Pricing is quote-based and account-based under Net 30 payment terms, with promotional alignment to major manufacturer partners including Schneider Electric, Milwaukee Tool, Legrand, Lithonia (Acuity Brands), LEDVANCE, and Arlington.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product distribution transactions, supplemented by professional-services revenue from warehousing and kitting/assembly work. The operating model is fundamentally a catalog-based wholesale distribution business rather than a software platform, and its competitive positioning rests on the combination of regional branch density, Sonepar-affiliated scale and manufacturer relationships, vertical specialization across six customer segments, and embedded project-management and jobsite-ready services.

Name

Capital Electric

Legal name

Capital Lighting & Supply, LLC

Website

https://capitalelectricsupply.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Capital Electric Supply is a wholesale electrical distributor serving commercial, residential, industrial, government, lighting, and OEM customers across seven Mid-Atlantic and Southeast US states via 70+ branches and an e-commerce platform, operating as a subsidiary of Sonepar USA Holdings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42361), Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (423690)

SIC

Wholesale-Electrical Apparatus & Equipment, Wiring Supplies (5063), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting & Electrical Supplies for Home Distribution (CRAOAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail & Wholesale Distribution Centers (Dry DCs) (TLALAAAD), HVAC, Water Heaters & Indoor Air Quality Distribution (CRAOAFAJ)

Keywords

• Electrical equipment distribution
• Wholesale electrical supplies
• Industrial automation products
• Lighting solutions distribution
• Power distribution equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Upper Marlboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices61 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Distribution: Distribution of electrical supplies including wiring devices, lighting, automation, power distribution, tools, safety products, solar products, electric vehicle charging, and related electrical equipment to commercial, residential, industrial, government, and OEM customers.
2. Warehousing Services: Storage, kitting, assembly, staging, modification, and fabrication services provided within company-owned or leased premises for customer inventory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Capital Electric Supply is a wholesale distributor of electrical equipment, operating as Capital Lighting & Supply, LLC, that sells wiring devices, lighting, automation, power distribution, tools, safety products, solar products, EV chargers, and related electrical supplies to commercial, residential, industrial, government, lighting, and OEM customers. Distribution is delivered through a 70+ branch network across 7 states paired with an e-commerce platform and the Digital Job Center project management portal, supported by value-added warehousing services such as kitting, assembly, staging, modification, and fabrication.

Product overview

Capital Electric Supply is a wholesale electrical equipment distributor and part of Sonepar, operating as a single unified product catalog rather than a platform-based architecture. The company offers an extensive portfolio of electrical distribution products organized across 22 major product categories including Control & Automation, Power Distribution, Lighting & Lighting Controls, Solar Products, Electric Vehicle Charging, Wire/Cables, Data/Communication Systems, Safety Products, Tools & Instruments, Enclosures, and Electrical Fittings. They serve six primary market segments: Commercial (hotels, office complexes with Digital Job Center portal), Residential (pre-cut wire, kitting services), Industrial (automation, switchgear, MCCs), Government (municipal projects), Lighting (LED retrofits, design assistance), and OEM (component supply, VMI services). The offering is fundamentally a catalog-based distribution model rather than a software product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Control & Automation Products Distribution of industrial automation products including alarms and signaling, automation control connectivity devices, drives and drive accessories, machine safety equipment, motor controls and accessories, PLCs and HMI, relays and timers, sensors and switches, terminal blocks, and signal conditioners for industrial automation customers.
• Power Distribution Equipment Comprehensive power distribution products including busway, circuit breakers (low/medium voltage, miniature, molded case, residential), disconnect and safety switches, fuses, grounding and bonding products, load centers, metering equipment, panelboards, surge protection, switchboards, temporary power, and transformers.
• Lighting & Lighting Controls Full range of lighting products including ballasts, starters, and capacitors; emergency lighting and exit signs; indoor, outdoor, and hazardous-location fixtures; lamps (CFL, fluorescent, halogen, HID, incandescent); lighting controls and accessories; work lights; and flashlights and headlamps.
• Solar Products Photovoltaic solutions including PV modules (60-cell, 132-cell panels), balance of systems (combiner boxes, connectors, rapid shutdown boxes), inverters (microinverters, optimizers, single phase), off-grid equipment, racking (clamps, ground mounts, hardware), and solar installation tools.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Electric vehicle chargers and accessories for EV charging infrastructure deployments.
• Wire, Cords & Cables Extensive wiring solutions including aluminum and copper building wires, datacomm and low voltage cable, extension cords and portable boxes, flexible and portable cords, hook-up and lead wires, metal clad and armored cables, mining cables, thermocouple wires, and tray cables and instrumentation cables.
• Data & Communication Systems Communication infrastructure including audio and video systems, copper and fiber optic connectivity, faceplates and boxes, networking hardware (modems, gateways, NICs, wired/wireless networking), racks, enclosures and cable management, and security and video surveillance equipment.
• Safety Products Comprehensive safety equipment including electrical safety (insulating blankets), fire safety (alarms, suppression systems, CO/smoke alarms), first aid and wound care, lockout/tagout equipment, machine safety, PPE, safety apparel (flame resistant, high-visibility), safety signs and labels, and spill containment.
• Tools & Instruments Professional tools and testing equipment including abrasives, brushes, cleaning tools, dispensing tools, fish tapes and conduit tools, hand tools, ladders and scaffolding, paint tools, power tools and attachments, storage and material handling, testing instruments (ammeters, battery testers, calibrators), tool kits, and utility indicators.
• Enclosures Enclosure types including circuit breaker enclosures, disconnect type enclosures, electrical console enclosures, floor mount enclosures, pilot device enclosures, thermal management (coolers, dehumidifiers, heaters), underground enclosures, wall mount enclosures, and pull boxes.
• Electrical Boxes, Fittings & Wiring Devices Wide range of electrical boxes and covers, electrical fittings, conduit products, and wiring devices (combination devices, daylighting controls, occupancy sensors, plugs and connectors, receptacles, switches, wall plates).
• Conduit, Raceway & Cable Support Cable management solutions including cable tray (wire mesh/basket, ladder), conduit (EMT, flexible, liquidtight, IMC, PVC coated), raceway systems, strut and accessories, wireways, wiring ducts, and extrusions.
• Power Sources & Motors Power generation and motor products including batteries and chargers, generators (inverter, portable, standby), motors and accessories, and power supplies (DC, inverters, UPS).
• Heat, Ventilation & Builder Products HVAC and building products including air circulators, air treatment, central vacuum systems, controls and thermostats, doorbells, ducting and venting, electric heating (convection, fan forced, floor warming, ice/snow melting), and exhaust and ventilation equipment.
• Welding & Soldering Equipment Welding and soldering supplies including exothermic welding, gas welding equipment, soldering equipment, welding accessories, welding cable connectors, welding consumables, helmets and protection, and welding supplies.
• Wire Termination & Supplies Wire connection and termination products including bundling and securing (cable clips, ties), cold and heat shrink, grounding products, lugs and connectors, marking and labeling, small crimp connectors, splicing and terminating kits, and welded connections.
• Electric Utility & Outside Plant Products Utility infrastructure equipment including arrestors and cutouts, automation and protection, substation products, utility anchors, connectors, elbows, hardware, insulators, switches, and utility tools.
• Digital Job Center Project Management Portal Online portal for managing commercial projects in one place, enabling project tracking, specification management, and streamlined ordering for commercial construction projects.
• Warehousing Services Value-added warehousing services including storage, kitting, assembly, staging, modification, and fabrication performed in company-owned or leased premises for customer inventory.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Schneider ElectriccoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor manufacturer partner providing Square D products, pump control panels, motor controls, and automation solutions. Featured brand partner with dedicated product catalog and technical support.
• Milwaukee ToolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured manufacturer partner for power tools and accessories. Promotional bundles and accessory promotions featured on website.
• LegrandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured manufacturer partner for wiring devices, data communication, and lighting controls.
• LEDVANCEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLighting manufacturer partner for LED and traditional lighting products.
• Lithonia (Acuity Brands)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured manufacturer partner for indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures.
• ArlingtonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer partner for electrical fittings and boxes.
• SoneparcoreOthersParent company - Sonepar USA Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates. Capital Electric is a subsidiary operating under the Sonepar family of companies.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crescent Electric Supply: Midwest-focused electrical distributor with a comparable branch-based, multi-vertical model serving commercial, industrial, and residential contractors. Closest analog to Capital Electric's regional distributor plus value-added services playbook.
• Werner Electric Supply: Upper Midwest regional electrical distributor with branch network, automation and lighting offerings, and contractor-focused value-added services. Comparable operating model to Capital Electric's Mid-Atlantic footprint.
• Rexel USA: U.S. arm of a global electrical distribution group directly competing in the same product categories (lighting, power distribution, automation, data comm) with branch and digital channels. Sonepar's principal global competitor; Capital Electric competes against its branches in shared geographies.
• Border States Electric: Employee-owned regional electrical distributor serving utility, commercial, and industrial customers across the Upper Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable product breadth and emphasis on project services.
• Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED): Largest U.S. electrical distributor by branch count, contractor-focused with very similar vertical segmentation (commercial, industrial, residential). Competes head-to-head across Capital Electric's footprint wherever CED has overlapping branches.

Broad incumbents

• Graybar: One of the largest U.S. electrical, communications, and data networking distributors with national footprint. Overlaps Capital Electric in power distribution, lighting, and data comm but operates at much broader geographic and category scale.
• Wesco International: Fortune 500 broadline distributor with electrical and communications product lines, post-Anixter integration. Competes with Capital Electric in commercial and industrial accounts where Wesco has scale advantages.

Regional players

• United Electric Supply: Independent Mid-Atlantic electrical distributor serving Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia with overlapping branches and same target customer mix as Capital Electric.

Emerging players

• Johnstone Supply: Cooperative HVAC and refrigeration parts distributor; overlaps Capital Electric's HVAC category and commercial/industrial contractor base, providing an adjacent distribution comparison as Capital Electric deepens its HVAC and builder offerings.

Others

• EIS (Electronic Information Systems): Specialty distributor of electrical and electronic materials including wire and cable, assemblies, and value-added kitting. Adjacent rather than direct competitor but uses similar supplier relationships and kitting services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/capitalelecsply
• Facebookfacebook.com/CapitalElecSply
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capitalelectric

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Capital Electric