E Sam Jones Distributor Inc
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc is a family-owned commercial lighting distributor and ESCO founded in 1948, operating six U.S. regional hubs and serving federal, hospitality, healthcare, education, and enterprise customers with products, retrofits, national-account programs, and energy-services contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What E Sam Jones Distributor Inc does
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc (ESJ) is a privately held, family-owned commercial lighting distributor founded in 1948 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company operates six regional distribution and project hubs across Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Inverness (Florida), Los Angeles, and Nashville, supplying lamps, fixtures, controls, and related materials to commercial, institutional, hospitality, healthcare, education, and federal customers nationwide.
ESJ's offering spans five interlocking lines of business: (1) Lighting Products Distribution, the core resale of lamps and fixtures from more than 2,700 manufacturer partners; (2) Lighting Retrofit Services, a turnkey upgrade practice launched in 1992 that handles audit, design, installation, and rebate administration; (3) a National Accounts Program that standardizes multi-site rollouts for chains such as Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental, Macy's, and Chick-fil-A; (4) Local Replacement and MRO lamp replacement serving maintenance buyers; and (5) ESCO (Energy Services Company) contracting, including measurement-and-verification, that originated with its first Department of Defense retrofit in 2000. Cumulative reported throughput exceeds one billion bulbs delivered and two million fixtures retrofitted.
The revenue model combines one-time product sales, project-based retrofit revenue, recurring national-account service fees, and ESCO contracts — some financed, some pay-as-you-go. Marquee engagements include a $14 million Hill Air Force Base retrofit (2020), a $14 million MARTA program, and substantial K-12, university, healthcare, and hospitality work for customers such as Emory Healthcare, Georgia Tech, Cobb County Schools, Georgia Aquarium, and Cushman & Wakefield. The business is mature, privately held, and run without disclosed outside funding or recent M&A.
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- E Sam Jones Distributor Inc
- Legal name
- E. Sam Jones
- Website
- https://esamjones.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- E Sam Jones Distributor Inc is a family-owned commercial lighting distributor and ESCO founded in 1948, operating six U.S. regional hubs and serving federal, hospitality, healthcare, education, and enterprise customers with products, retrofits, national-account programs, and energy-services contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Lighting Distribution
- NAICS
- Electric Lamp Bulb and Other Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (335139), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)
- SIC
- Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Light Bulbs & Lamp Replacements Retail (LED, Smart Bulbs, Specialty) (CRAIAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Transformer/Driver/Power Supply Service & Replacement (HSAIAHAL)
Keywords
Where E Sam Jones Distributor Inc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sale of lighting products including bulbs, fixtures, and LED retrofits through 6 branch locations with local stock and delivery fleet
- Lighting Retrofit Services: Comprehensive retrofit services including energy audits, proposal development, expert installation, and warranty administration. Turnkey solutions for commercial, government, and ESCO customers.
- National Accounts Program: Customized lighting solutions for multi-location businesses including photometric design, construction management, post-sales support, and custom logistics
- ESCO Services: Energy Service Company services including audit and project development, material procurement and distribution, installation, and warranty administration under ESPC contracts
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | MRO Lamp Replacement |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Comprehensive Retrofit Projects |
| Other | Multi-year contract | National Accounts Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
E. Sam Jones is a full-service commercial lighting distributor that sells lighting products (bulbs, fixtures, LED retrofits) from over 2,700 manufacturers and provides turnkey retrofit, national account, MRO, and ESCO services. The company serves commercial, hospitality, government, military, education, and senior care customers through 6 nationwide branch locations with local inventory, project management, utility rebate administration, and installation services.
Product overview
E. Sam Jones is a lighting distribution company offering a comprehensive suite of lighting products and services through five interconnected offerings: Lighting Products Distribution serves as the core product line providing commercial and industrial lighting from 2700+ manufacturers; Lighting Retrofit Services enables energy-efficient upgrades with full project management from audit through warranty; National Accounts Services provides specialized multi-site project coordination including design, construction logistics, and post-sales support; Local Replacement | MRO Services offers ongoing maintenance and lamp replacement with rapid local delivery; and ESCO Services delivers comprehensive energy solutions for government and commercial ESPC projects. The company operates six national locations serving hospitality, commercial properties, senior care, government, and educational sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lighting Products Distribution Distribution of commercial and industrial lighting products including bulbs, fixtures, LED retrofits, and replacement lamps sourced from over 2,700 manufacturer brands (including Acuity Brands, Philips, Sylvania, Hubbell).
- Lighting Retrofit Services Industry-leading lighting retrofit services for commercial, government, and ESCO customers including energy audits, proposal development, utility rebate administration, expert installation, and warranty administration. Has retrofitted over 1 million (and per latest claims 2 million+) fixtures nationwide.
- National Accounts Services Comprehensive national account management for multi-location clients including photometric design, architectural drawing take-offs, fixture package logistics, commissioning, installation management, warranty administration, rebate fulfillment, and recycling services.
- Local Replacement | MRO Services Local lamp replacement and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) services with dedicated sales representatives, local warehouse stock, and next-day delivery fleet serving property lighting and energy needs.
- ESCO Services Energy Service Company (ESCO) services including audit and project development, material procurement and distribution, installation management, and warranty administration for comprehensive energy solutions delivered under Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC).
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% energy savings for multi-location restaurant chains (Raising Cane's)
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use E Sam Jones Distributor Inc
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Acuity BrandscoreCollaborative partnership for customized lighting retrofit programs. Partnered with Acuity Brands on the Raising Cane's multi-location project to develop brand-specific lighting specifications balancing performance, design, and cost savings.
- Lux DynamicsminorCollaborated with Lux Dynamics on CORE4 athletic facility project. Lux Dynamics provided IK10-rated impact-resistant LED high bay fixtures specifically designed for sports and fitness environments.
- Smart Lighting SolutionsminorInstallation partner on CORE4 project, working alongside E. Sam Jones project management and Lux Dynamics fixtures.
- Sylvania (LEDVANCE)coreMajor manufacturer partner providing lighting products. One of over 2,700 manufacturer partnerships enabling comprehensive lighting distribution capabilities.
- HubbellcoreMajor manufacturer partner providing commercial and industrial lighting solutions. Part of extensive manufacturer network.
- Philips Lighting (Signify)coreMajor manufacturer partner providing LED and smart lighting solutions. Part of 2,700+ manufacturer network.
- Georgia PowercoreUtility provider partnership for energy efficiency programs. E. Sam Jones works with Georgia Power to secure rebates for customers through the Energy Efficiency Program, including the $6,300 rebate for CORE4 project.
- Utility Providers (National)coreHandles rebate administration with utilities from coast to coast, working with local utility providers to maximize customer savings through rebate capture programs.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Acuity Brands: Major US lighting manufacturer and one of E. Sam Jones's largest manufacturer partners. Relevant peer because Acuity increasingly competes directly with distributors through its own services arm and Atrius IoT platform, while also being a critical upstream supplier to ESJ.
- Current Lighting (GE Current): Lighting manufacturer and solutions provider serving commercial, industrial, and horticulture markets. Comparable to E. Sam Jones's vendor relationships and competes through direct ESCO and networked-lighting offerings; relevant as both a partner and competitor across retrofit projects.
Regional players
- Border States Electric: Employee-owned electrical distribution company serving the central and western US. Comparable to E. Sam Jones as a multi-branch electrical/lighting distributor with project services capability, though with stronger presence in utility and industrial markets than ESJ's commercial/hospitality/government focus.
- Crescent Electric Supply Company: Family-owned electrical distributor with branches across the Midwest, Southeast, and beyond. Comparable business model to E. Sam Jones including lighting products, project support, and contractor relationships, but more diversified across industrial and contractor segments.
Direct peers
- Facility Solutions Group (FSG): National lighting and electrical services provider specializing in retrofits, design-build, and multi-site rollouts for commercial customers. Closely comparable to E. Sam Jones across lighting retrofits, national accounts, ESCO delivery, and vertical mix—directly competing for the same enterprise and government bids.
- Action Services Group: National lighting and electrical services company specializing in commercial LED retrofits, signage lighting, and multi-site rollout programs. Highly comparable to E. Sam Jones in the national-accounts lighting retrofit space, with similar enterprise and retail customer base.
- Orion Energy Systems: LED lighting and retrofit solutions provider focused on commercial and industrial customers, including ESCO channels. Comparable to E. Sam Jones as a retrofit specialist but with a proprietary product portfolio (Orion-branded fixtures) layered on top of services, creating both partnership and competitive dynamics.
Broad incumbents
- Rexel USA: Major US electrical and lighting distributor with national branch network and energy-solutions services. Comparable business model to E. Sam Jones including retrofit and ESCO capabilities, but with substantially larger revenue, broader product lines, and corporate backing from the global Rexel Group.
- Graybar Electric Company: Employee-owned electrical, communications, and lighting distributor with 250+ US locations. Competes with E. Sam Jones on commercial lighting distribution and national-account programs, but also serves data center, telecom, and broader industrial markets outside ESJ's core focus.
- Sonepar: Global electrical distribution leader operating across the US through brands like Cooper Electric and Capital Light. Directly comparable to E. Sam Jones in lighting distribution and project services but at vastly greater scale, with national footprint and broader electrical product portfolio beyond just lighting.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc social profiles
Digital presenceE Sam Jones Distributor Inc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about E Sam Jones Distributor Inc
What does E Sam Jones Distributor Inc do?
E. Sam Jones is a full-service commercial lighting distributor that sells lighting products (bulbs, fixtures, LED retrofits) from over 2,700 manufacturers and provides turnkey retrofit, national account, MRO, and ESCO services. The company serves commercial, hospitality, government, military, education, and senior care customers through 6 nationwide branch locations with local inventory, project management, utility rebate administration, and installation services.
Is E Sam Jones Distributor Inc a public or private company?
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was E Sam Jones Distributor Inc founded?
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc was founded in 1948. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is E Sam Jones Distributor Inc based?
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does E Sam Jones Distributor Inc make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are lighting Retrofit Services, national Accounts Program and ESCO Services.
Who are E Sam Jones Distributor Inc's main competitors?
Others on record are Acuity Brands and Current Lighting (GE Current). Regional players are Border States Electric and Crescent Electric Supply Company. Direct peers are Facility Solutions Group (FSG), Action Services Group and Orion Energy Systems. Broad incumbents are Rexel USA, Graybar Electric Company and Sonepar.
Does E Sam Jones Distributor Inc have an API?
No public API is recorded for E Sam Jones Distributor Inc.
What industry is E Sam Jones Distributor Inc in?
E Sam Jones Distributor Inc's product category is Commercial Lighting Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIAHAD, Light Bulbs & Lamp Replacements Retail (LED, Smart Bulbs, Specialty), with a secondary code of HSAIAHAL, Transformer/Driver/Power Supply Service & Replacement. Its NAICS code is 335139 and its SIC code is 3640.