Richards Electric Supply Co.
Richards Electric Supply Co. (operating as Echo Electric) is a Sonepar-owned regional electrical distributor serving contractors, industrial, and commercial customers across 10 U.S. Midwest states through branch locations, e-commerce, and mobile apps, offering 21+ product categories with value-added project management services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Richards Electric Supply Co. does
Richards Electric Supply Co. operates the Echo Electric brand, a regional electrical distribution business serving contractors, industrial professionals, and commercial customers across 10 U.S. Midwest states. The company is a subsidiary of Sonepar, a global electrical distribution conglomerate, with primary operations headquartered in Springfield, Illinois (Cincinnati, Ohio is listed as the company's domicile). Originally founded in 1937, the company has operated for nearly a century under various brand identities, with "Shaw Supply" being a recently absorbed predecessor name now transitioned into Echo Electric.
The core offering is a catalog of 21+ electrical product categories spanning wire, cable, conduit, raceway, control and automation (PLCs, HMIs, drives, motor controls), power distribution (transformers, switchboards, circuit breakers), lighting and controls, data and communication, solar products, electric vehicle charging, safety equipment, and tools. The catalog is supported by value-added service lines including lighting audits, power substation packaging, project management for jobsite delivery, and digital solutions for online ordering and bill pay. Distribution is executed through physical branch locations, an e-commerce website, and dedicated iOS/Android mobile applications.
The revenue model is hardware resale at standard electrical-distribution margins, with project-based quoting rather than disclosed list pricing. Go-to-market is a hybrid of direct field sales through branches serving enterprise contractors/industrial accounts, and self-service e-commerce/mobile for smaller recurring orders. Customer segmentation is horizontal, with no named anchor accounts disclosed, suggesting a diversified base of small-to-mid contractors and industrial buyers. The company holds no disclosed patents, certifications, or AI/ML capabilities, and operates as a traditional distributor augmented by digital tooling rather than a technology platform.
Richards Electric Supply Co. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Richards Electric Supply Co.
- Legal name
- Echo Electric
- Website
- https://richardselectric.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Richards Electric Supply Co. (operating as Echo Electric) is a Sonepar-owned regional electrical distributor serving contractors, industrial, and commercial customers across 10 U.S. Midwest states through branch locations, e-commerce, and mobile apps, offering 21+ product categories with value-added project management services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Richards Electric Supply Co. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electrical Supply Distribution
- NAICS
- Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42361)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Electrical Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (3690), Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electrical Supplies Retail (Wiring, Switches, Breakers, Conduit) (CRAIADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Power Supplies, Batteries & Charging Components Retail (CRACAKAD)
Keywords
Where Richards Electric Supply Co. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Richards Electric Supply Co. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Electrical Products Distribution: Traditional electrical supply distribution model serving contractors, industrial professionals, and commercial customers with a comprehensive catalog of electrical products including wire, cables, lighting, power distribution, and automation equipment.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Richards Electric Supply Co. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Richards Electric Supply Co. distributes a comprehensive catalog of electrical products including wire and cable, conduit fittings, lighting, power distribution equipment, wiring devices, controls, fuses, and safety products. The company serves electrical contractors, industrial professionals, and commercial customers across 10 Midwest states through a network of physical branch locations supplemented by e-commerce and mobile applications.
Product overview
Echo Electric operates as an electrical supply distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services organized as a catalog-based platform with specialized solution areas. The core offering consists of an extensive product catalog spanning 21 major categories including wire/cables, conduit/raceway, control & automation, data/communication, electrical boxes, lighting, power distribution, solar products, safety equipment, and tools. These are complemented by value-added services including Digital Solutions (online job management and bill pay), Industrial Solutions, Lighting & Controls (audits and fixture selection), Power Substation Solutions, and Project Management services. The company serves contractors, industrial professionals, and commercial customers across the Midwest through multiple branch locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wire, Cords & Cables
Companies that use Richards Electric Supply Co.
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Richards Electric Supply Co. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Richards Electric Supply Co. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Acuity Brands LightingcoreFeatured manufacturer partner for lighting products including fixtures, controls, and lighting solutions. Products featured on Echo Electric website and available through distribution network.
- Cooper LightingcoreFeatured manufacturer partner for commercial and industrial lighting solutions. Cooper Lighting products distributed through Echo Electric branch network.
- EatoncoreFeatured manufacturer partner providing power distribution, electrical safety, and industrial control products. Strategic distribution relationship.
- LegrandcoreFeatured manufacturer partner for wiring devices, cable management, and architectural lighting solutions. Products distributed through Echo Electric network.
- Milwaukee ToolcoreFeatured manufacturer partner for professional tools and instruments. Featured promotions and deals for contractors and industrial professionals.
- Schneider ElectriccoreFeatured manufacturer partner for automation, control, power distribution, and energy management solutions. Strategic distribution partnership.
- Klein ToolsminorFeatured brand partner for hand tools and instruments used by electrical professionals.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Richards Electric Supply Co. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Graybar Electric Company: One of the largest employee-owned electrical, communications, and data networking distributors in North America with extensive branch coverage. Directly comparable as a full-line electrical distributor serving contractors and industrial customers with overlapping product categories (wire, lighting, power distribution, automation).
- Summit Electric Supply: Privately held full-line electrical distributor with strong presence in the South and Southwest US. Comparable business model and customer mix (industrial, commercial, contractor) with similar product catalog breadth including automation, lighting, and power distribution.
- CED (Consolidated Electrical Distributors): Major US electrical distributor operating as a marketing/buying group with hundreds of branch locations nationwide. Closely comparable business model — full-line electrical distribution to contractors and industrial customers — with similar product breadth and contractor-focused go-to-market.
- Kendall Electric: Regional full-line electrical distributor serving the Midwest with branches across Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and surrounding states. Direct overlap in geography (Midwest), product catalog, and customer segments (contractors, industrial, commercial).
- Elliott Electric Supply: Regional electrical distributor headquartered in Texas with branches across the South and Midwest. Similar scale and full-line product offering (wire, conduit, lighting, power distribution, tools) serving the same contractor and industrial customer base.
- State Electric Supply: Family-owned full-line electrical distributor with locations across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast. Closely comparable regional electrical distributor serving industrial, commercial, and contractor customers with similar product breadth.
Broad incumbents
- Sonepar USA: Parent organization and broader US holding entity of which the subject company is a subsidiary. Sister subsidiaries within Sonepar USA compete in overlapping product/customer categories but with their own regional identities — relevant as the ultimate parent benchmark and as internal allocation competitors for capital and contracts.
- Rexel USA: US subsidiary of Rexel Group, one of the world's largest electrical distributors with global presence. Competes across all the same product categories and customer segments but at significantly greater scale, with broader geographic coverage and deeper manufacturer relationships.
- Wesco International: Major publicly traded electrical, communications, and utility distribution company with national and global operations. Competes in the same electrical supply distribution space with overlapping product categories, customer segments, and the data/network/utility adjacencies that Echo addresses.
Regional players
- Werner Electric Supply: Midwest-focused (Wisconsin) full-line electrical distributor with a strong automation and industrial controls specialty. Comparable product mix and customer base, but with a more concentrated regional footprint that does not fully overlap with Echo's broader 10-state Midwest territory.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Richards Electric Supply Co. social profiles
Digital presenceRichards Electric Supply Co. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Richards Electric Supply Co. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Richards Electric Supply Co. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Richards Electric Supply Co. 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 Richards Electric Supply Co.
What does Richards Electric Supply Co. do?
Richards Electric Supply Co. distributes a comprehensive catalog of electrical products including wire and cable, conduit fittings, lighting, power distribution equipment, wiring devices, controls, fuses, and safety products. The company serves electrical contractors, industrial professionals, and commercial customers across 10 Midwest states through a network of physical branch locations supplemented by e-commerce and mobile applications.
Is Richards Electric Supply Co. a public or private company?
Richards Electric Supply Co. is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Richards Electric Supply Co. founded?
Richards Electric Supply Co. was founded in 1937. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Richards Electric Supply Co. based?
Richards Electric Supply Co. is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does Richards Electric Supply Co. make money?
One revenue line is on record: electrical Products Distribution.
Who are Richards Electric Supply Co.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Graybar Electric Company, Summit Electric Supply, CED (Consolidated Electrical Distributors), Kendall Electric, Elliott Electric Supply and State Electric Supply. Broad incumbents are Sonepar USA, Rexel USA and Wesco International. Werner Electric Supply is listed as a regional player.
Does Richards Electric Supply Co. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Richards Electric Supply Co..
What industry is Richards Electric Supply Co. in?
Richards Electric Supply Co.'s product category is Electrical Supply Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIADAE, Electrical Supplies Retail (Wiring, Switches, Breakers, Conduit), with a secondary code of CRACAKAD, Power Supplies, Batteries & Charging Components Retail. Its NAICS code is 42361 and its SIC code is 3690.