What United Electric Supply does

United Electric Supply Co., Inc. is a 100% employee-owned wholesale distributor of electrical products and systems, founded in 1965 and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The company operates a multi-branch network across the Mid-Atlantic region — Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and New York — serving commercial construction, industrial, and emergency-service customers with a catalog spanning 15 product categories including lighting, power distribution, wire and cable, control and automation, tools, and signaling/smoke detection. Employees transitioned the business to an ESOP in 1995, and the company now operates without a parent organization, external funding, or subsidiaries.

Its platform combines physical branch distribution with an e-commerce storefront featuring Quick Order, order tracking ("Where's My Stuff"), and account management tools. Internally, the company runs an in-house performance measurement system (Real Performance Measures, or RPMs) that tracks on-time delivery, fill rates, shipping accuracy, invoice accuracy, credit memo cycle time, and customer satisfaction, reported quarterly. Value-added services include OnPoint Automation (engineering and technical support), Advanced Logistics (fulfillment), OnSite Services (on-site inventory management), and Custom Products (prefabrication), supported by 100+ OSHA-approved training classes.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales distributed via direct branch sales, the e-commerce platform, and a 24-hour emergency service line, with secondary professional-services revenue from engineering, training, and on-site logistics. Pricing is unit-based with website-listed prices, supplemented by quote-based enterprise pricing and utility rebate programs across the Mid-Atlantic region. The company has no disclosed external investors and reports revenue above $300 million with 300+ employees.

Name

United Electric Supply

Legal name

United Electric Supply Co., Inc.

Website

https://unitedelectric.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

United Electric Supply is a 100% employee-owned wholesale distributor of electrical products and systems, serving commercial, industrial, and emergency-service customers across the Mid-Atlantic region from a multi-branch and e-commerce platform with $300M+ in annual revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Products Distribution

NAICS

Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42361)

SIC

Wholesale-Electrical Apparatus & Equipment, Wiring Supplies (5063)

akta.pro primary industry

Charging Infrastructure Components (connectors, cables, dispensers, payment/controls) (IMAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

AC-DC Power Supplies (Industrial PSUs, DIN-rail, enclosed/open-frame) (IMAGADAA), Electrical Supplies Retail (Wiring, Switches, Breakers, Conduit) (CRAIADAE), Power Supplies, Batteries & Charging Components Retail (CRACAKAD)

Keywords

• Electrical products distribution
• Industrial automation supplies
• Lighting solutions distribution
• Power distribution equipment
• Electrical wholesale supply

Headquarters

HQ city

New Castle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electrical Products Distribution: Distribution of electrical supplies including industrial automation, lighting, wire/cable/conduit, gear and control, data communications, electro-mechanical, and energy solutions. Revenue generated from product sales through multiple channels including branches, e-commerce, and emergency service.
2. Value-Added Services: Services including engineering expertise, hands-on product testing and training, lighting design and application capabilities, comprehensive automation solutions, on-site trailers, and warehousing of customer inventory.
3. Education and Training Services: Training programs on equipment, systems, software, regulatory codes and safety. Classes conducted by certified experts, OSHA approved, with public and private courses offered online, onsite, at office or offsite locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

United Electric Supply is a wholesale distributor of electrical products serving commercial, industrial, and construction customers across the Mid-Atlantic United States. The company sells a comprehensive range of electrical supplies across more than 15 categories including lighting, wire and cable, power distribution equipment, control and automation, fuses, tools, and wiring devices, supplemented by value-added services such as automation engineering, logistics and on-site inventory management, custom prefabrication, and OSHA-approved training.

Product overview

United Electric Supply is a 100% employee-owned electrical products distributor operating as a multi-category e-commerce platform. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into 15 major product categories: Boxes & Covers, Conduit/Strut/Raceway & Cable Tray, Control & Automation, Fasteners & Hardware, Fuses, Harmony Relays, Heating & Ventilation, Lighting, Miscellaneous Products, Power Distribution Equipment, Signaling & Smoke Detection, Tools/Testing & Metering, Wire Management/Grounding & Termination, Wire/Cable & Cord, and Wiring Devices. The product portfolio spans industrial automation components (PLCs, safety devices, variable speed drives), comprehensive lighting solutions (fixtures, lamps, ballasts), power distribution equipment (circuit breakers, transformers, generators), professional tools and testing instruments, and extensive electrical wire/cable products. Complementing the product categories, the company offers four main services: OnPoint Automation (technical expertise), Advanced Logistics (fulfillment), OnSite Services (material handling), and Custom Products (prefabrication). The platform also features e-commerce capabilities including Quick Order functionality for rapid ordering by part number and order tracking through 'Where's My Stuff.' Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company serves commercial and industrial customers across Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, and New York with over 300 employees and $300+ million in revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OnPoint Automation: In-house product experts, certified technicians and engineers providing local automation solutions.
• Advanced Logistics
• OnSite Services
• Custom Products

Products and services

• Boxes & Covers Electrical enclosures including cast device boxes, ceiling boxes, gang boxes, junction boxes, hazardous location boxes, and weatherproof boxes for commercial, industrial, and residential installation environments.
• Conduit, Strut, Raceway & Cable Tray Raceway, strut, conduit, and cable tray products for routing and supporting electrical wiring in commercial and industrial installations.
• Control & Automation Industrial automation components including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), safety control devices, variable speed drives, electrical relays, automation connectivity devices, and electrical switches for manufacturing and process control applications.
• Fasteners & Hardware Fastening and mounting hardware including anchors, bolts, nuts, screws, brackets, clamps, washers, and springs used in electrical installations and construction.
• Fuses Fuse products including blade fuses, cartridge fuses, semiconductor fuses, power fuses, and fuse holders for circuit protection applications.
• Heating & Ventilation HVAC-related electrical products including air circulators, cooling equipment, heating elements, ventilation systems, humidity control devices, dehumidifiers, and air filtration and purification equipment.
• Lighting Comprehensive lighting solutions including interior and exterior fixtures, lamps, LED fixtures, ballasts, emergency lighting, portable and temporary lighting, optical lighting, and stage and studio lighting equipment.
• Power Distribution Equipment Power distribution components including distribution control centers, circuit breakers, switchgear, generators, transformers, UPS systems, power conditioning equipment, and motor control centers.
• Signaling & Smoke Detection Fire protection and detection equipment including fire alarm systems, smoke detectors, heat detectors, fire extinguishers, and surveillance and detection equipment.
• Tools, Testing & Metering Professional tools and testing equipment including power tools, hand tools, testing instruments, measuring devices, material handling equipment, adhesives, sealants, building supplies, and electrical code books.
• Wire Management, Grounding & Termination Wire management products including cable ties, connectors, terminals, lugs, conduits, raceways, and grounding equipment for electrical installations.
• Wire, Cable & Cord Electrical wire and cable products including building cable, power cable, fiber optic cable, control cable, portable cords, and installation cables for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
• Wiring Devices Wiring devices including electrical plugs, receptacles, locking plugs, wallplates, and adapters for electrical connections.
• OnPoint Automation In-house automation service providing local product experts, certified technicians, and engineers to support customers' automation solutions and technical needs.
• Advanced Logistics Logistics service enabling customers to receive electrical products where and when they need them, with material handling and inventory management capabilities.
• OnSite Services On-site service offering for material handling and inventory management, providing on-site trailers and customer inventory warehousing at customer locations.
• Custom Products Prefabrication and pre-assembly services for customized electrical product solutions tailored to specific customer requirements.
• Education & Training Training services offering over 100 classes on equipment, systems, regulatory codes, and safety, conducted by certified instructors with OSHA-approved programs. Courses are available online, onsite, at the customer's office, or at offsite locations and cover CEU requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• On-Time Delivery tracking through Real Performance Measures (RPMs)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NAED (National Association of Electrical Distributors)minorOthersAffiliation with NAED, a major trade association for electrical distributors. Logo displayed on website footer indicating membership or affiliation.
• AD IESDminorOthersAffiliation with AD IESD, a buying group or distribution alliance for independent electrical distributors. Logo displayed on website footer.
• ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)coreOthersEmployee ownership program. In 1995, employees purchased the company from the former owner and became a 100% employee-owned company through ESOP.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WESCO International: A Fortune 500 national electrical, communications, and utility distribution leader with roughly $22B+ in revenue. Comparable as a competing electrical apparatus and equipment wholesaler serving industrial, construction, and utility customers, though at vastly larger scale and with national account capabilities United Electric lacks.
• Graybar: One of the largest North American employee-owned electrical, communications, and data networking products distributors. Closely comparable business model—employee-owned, broad-line electrical distribution—though Graybar operates nationally with hundreds of branches and significantly greater scale than United Electric.
• Rexel: Global electrical distribution leader with operations across North America and Europe. Comparable as a multi-category electrical apparatus, lighting, and automation distributor serving commercial, industrial, and residential markets, but with global scale and an M&A-driven growth strategy.
• Sonepar: World's largest privately held electrical distribution group operating in 40+ countries. Comparable B2B electrical wholesaler with similar product breadth (lighting, wire/cable, automation, power distribution), though with a far larger global footprint and acquisition-driven model.

Direct peers

• Border States Electric: 100% employee-owned regional electrical distributor headquartered in North Dakota with branches across the upper Midwest, Mountain West, and South. Direct comparable on employee ownership structure, product breadth, value-added services, and customer segment focus.
• Van Meter Inc. Employee-owned (ESOP) electrical distributor serving industrial, commercial, and construction customers across the Midwest. Comparable as a regional full-line electrical distributor with branch-based sales, automation services, and training programs.
• Kendall Electric: Family-owned wholesale distributor of electrical supplies, lighting, automation, and data communications across the Midwest and Southeast. Comparable regional footprint, product mix, and customer segments to United Electric's Mid-Atlantic operations.
• Crescent Electric Supply: Fifth-largest electrical distributor in North America with family ownership and branches across the Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable in product breadth (lighting, wire, automation, datacom), branch network model, and emphasis on value-added services.
• Platt Electric Supply: Wholesale electrical distributor serving contractors, industrial, and commercial customers across the western U.S. Comparable multi-category electrical distributor with a strong e-commerce platform and value-added services, though operating in a different geography.
• Richards Electric Supply: Employee-owned (ESOP) full-line electrical distributor based in the Midwest with branches across multiple states. Closely comparable on employee-ownership structure, product breadth, and branch-based service model, though operating in different geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/unitedelectrics
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• Facebookfacebook.com/united-electric-supply-153156648164489
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-electric-supply

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about United Electric Supply