What Panther East does

Panther East, operating under the legal entity Black Cat, Inc. and also doing business as Black Cat Fasteners, is a specialty B2B distributor founded in 2001 and headquartered at 7928 State Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company serves commercial roofing contractors, general contractors, and DIY consumers primarily in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and surrounding Mid-Atlantic region. Its product portfolio spans fall protection and safety equipment, heat welding and hot air tools, roofing tools and accessories, EPDM/TPO/PVC roofing materials, fasteners, PPE, generators, roof carts, hot asphalt kettles, ladders, scaffolding, and extension cords, featuring sub-brands and partnerships with Tie Down Engineering, Safety Rail Company, STEINEL, BAK, and Century Wire.

The company operates as a stocking distributor for major professional brands, holding Master Distributor status with OMG Roofing Products and authorized STIHL dealer status with a dedicated outdoor power equipment website. Its business model combines one-time product sales, equipment rentals, and financing services through Synchrony Financial for orders over $1,000. Panther East differentiates from online-only retailers through full on-site training, equipment service and repairs, and rental options. Leadership includes Richard Moore as President and General Manager. The company maintains a multi-channel presence including a full e-commerce storefront, quote request system, credit applications, and active social media channels across Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. It is a privately held company with no external venture capital or private equity investment disclosed.

Name

Panther East

Legal name

Black Cat, Inc.

Website

https://panthereast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Panther East (Black Cat, Inc.) is a Philadelphia-based specialty B2B distributor founded in 2001, selling tools, equipment, fasteners, fall protection, and commercial roofing supplies to contractors across the Mid-Atlantic region, with on-site training, service, and rental options.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling tools, equipment, fasteners, safety supplies, and construction materials to contractors. Products are sold as one-time purchases with various brands available.
2. Equipment Rentals: Rental options available for tools and equipment, providing recurring revenue from contractors who need equipment on a temporary basis.
3. Financing Services: Promotional financing offered through Synchrony, allowing customers to pay for major purchases over time, facilitating larger transaction values.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Panther East is a stocking specialty distributor that sells professional tools, equipment, fasteners, fall protection, PPE, single-ply roofing materials, heat welding systems, generators, ladders, and outdoor power equipment to commercial roofing and construction contractors. It augments product sales with full on-site training, equipment service and repair, rental options, and promotional financing through Synchrony for orders over $1,000. The company also operates as a master distributor for OMG Roofing Products and an authorized STIHL dealer.

Product overview

Panther East + Black Cat Fasteners is a specialty distributor of professional roofing, construction, and safety tools, equipment, fasteners, and material supplies founded in 2001, serving commercial roofing and building construction contractors. The company operates as a product distribution business rather than a software platform, offering a comprehensive portfolio of physical tools and equipment organized into major categories including Fall Protection & Safety Equipment (featuring Tie Down Engineering and Safety Rail Company sub-brands), Heat Welding Equipment (STEINEL and BAK brands), Extension Cords & Power Cords, Fasteners, EPDM/TPO/PVC Roofing Materials, PPE, Generators, Roof Carts, and Hot Asphalt Kettles. Panther East differentiates through full on-site training, service, repairs, and rental options for all tools and equipment, functioning as a master distributor for major brands including OMG Roofing Products, while also operating as a STIHL dealer. The company does not appear to offer any AI/ML capabilities, public APIs, or software integrations—its offerings are entirely focused on physical tools and equipment for the construction and roofing industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fall Protection & Safety Equipment Comprehensive range of fall protection systems including guardrails, safety rails, harnesses, mobile fall protection carts, and OSHA-compliant warning line systems for roofing and construction applications.
• Heat Welding Equipment & Hot Air Tools Industrial heat welding and hot air tools including automatic roof welding machines, handheld welders, induction welding systems, and accessories for thermoplastic membrane roofing (TPO, PVC, EPDM).
• Roofing Tools & Equipment Complete line of roofing tools including blowers/vacuums, caulking tools, coating application equipment, drywall tools, engines, and specialized membrane cutting tools.
• Extension Cords & Power Cords Heavy-duty extension cords and power cords designed for roofing seam welders, generators, and job site power distribution including heat-seaming cords, GFCI protected cords, and weather-resistant options.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Personal protective equipment including eye protection, head protection, hand protection (including touchscreen-compatible gloves), respiratory safety, hearing protection, and high-visibility protective clothing.
• Fasteners Extensive fastener offerings including self-drilling screws, wood screws, sheet metal screws, wire joiners, hangers, and single-ply flashing accessories for roofing applications.
• EPDM / TPO / PVC Roofing Materials Single-ply roofing membrane materials and accessories including curbs, pipe boots, flashing, seam tape, perimeter strips, bonding adhesives, LOW-VOC primers, sealants, and membrane cutters.
• Generators & Portable Power Portable generators for job site power including industrial and residential models from brands like WINCO, GENERAC, YAMAHA, and HONDA.
• Roof Carts & Material Handling Roof deck equipment including non-powered, hydraulic, and powered roof carts for material handling on roofing projects, with adjustable and extendable options.
• Hot Asphalt Kettles & Equipment Hot asphalt kettles and melters including standard kettles, patch kettles, kettle accessories, and emission control systems for modified bitumen roofing applications.
• Caulks, Adhesives & Sealants Professional caulking tools, adhesives, and sealants including fire stop, smoke block, and sound block sealants for roofing and construction applications.
• Ladders & Scaffolding Ladders and scaffolding equipment for roofing and construction access, including ladder hoists and accessories.
• Tie Down Engineering Guardrail & Fall Protection Systems American-made safety systems and fall protection products including universal guardrail kits, mobile fall protection carts (PX3, PX5), safety rail systems, and rooftop guardrail solutions with OSHA-compliant configurations.
• Safety Rail Company (SRC) Fall Protection OSHA-compliant fall protection safety railings and guard rail systems including mobile safety rails, permanent rails, skylight guards, roof hatch guards, and ENDURALINE warning line systems.
• STEINEL Heat Welding & Hot Air Tools Professional heat welding and hot air tools with over 50 years of design heritage, including handheld heat guns (HG2620E, HG5000E, HG2220E), mobile heat guns (MH3, MH7), automatic welding machines, and accessories for industrial roofing applications.
• BAK Welding Accessories & Equipment BAK brand welding accessories including nozzles (wide slot, angled, flat), heating elements, mica tubes, and complete welding systems including LiiOn battery-powered handheld welders, LarOn automatic roof welders, MicOn robotic welders, and RiOn digital hot air guns.
• Century Wire & Cable Extension Cords Heavy-duty heat seaming extension cords with patented CGM connector technology featuring continuous ground check lights, designed for automatic TPO/PVC roof welders and seamers including LEISTER Varimat and BAK welding machines.
• Channelizer & Warning Line Systems Roof perimeter warning line systems including channelizer cones with weighted bases, pennant flags, and OSHA-compliant visual warning line systems for fall protection demarcation.
• Equipment Rental, Service & Repair Rental of tools and equipment plus full on-site service and repair support for all tools and equipment sold, providing recurring revenue and reducing contractor downtime.
• On-Site Equipment Training Full on-site training for all tools and equipment sold, covering operation and safety for commercial roofing and construction contractor customers.
• Promotional Financing through Synchrony Promotional financing arranged via Synchrony Financial enabling customers to pay for major equipment purchases over time, available for orders over $1,000.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OMG Roofing ProductscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPanther East is now a Master Distributor for OMG Roofing Products, carrying their full line of retro drains, RhinoBond systems, plate markers, and fasteners for commercial roofing applications.
• STIHLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized STIHL dealer providing landscaping equipment, chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, and outdoor power equipment to Philadelphia area customers through dedicated STIHL dealer website.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ABC Supply Co: Largest U.S. wholesale distributor of roofing, siding, windows, and related exterior building products to contractors. Directly comparable as a commercial roofing distributor serving contractors with similar SKUs and a branch-based service model.
• SRS Distribution: National building products distributor focused on roofing, siding, drywall, and ceiling systems serving professional contractors. Directly comparable in product mix and contractor customer base.
• Beacon Building Products: Major U.S. distributor of roofing materials and complementary building products including fasteners, insulation, and waterproofing. Directly comparable given overlap in single-ply membranes, fasteners, and contractor focus.
• White Cap: U.S. distributor of construction supplies, tools, and safety equipment to concrete, masonry, and general contractors. Directly comparable as a specialty contractor supply distributor with branch service model.
• QXO (formerly Allied Building Products): Large building products distributor serving contractors with roofing, siding, and waterproofing products. Comparable in product portfolio and commercial roofing contractor customer base.
• Lansing Building Products: U.S. distributor of exterior building products including roofing, siding, windows, and rainware serving professional contractors. Comparable as a specialty exterior building products distributor with branch network.

Broad incumbents

• Ferguson Enterprises: Large U.S. distributor of plumbing, HVAC, and related construction supplies with a broader portfolio than Panther East. Comparable as a specialty building products distributor serving trade contractors with a branch-and-service model.
• W.W. Grainger: Industrial MRO distributor offering safety equipment, tools, and supplies to commercial customers. Broad incumbent with overlap in fall protection, PPE, and tools sold to contractors.
• HD Supply (White Cap parent / Core & Main): Large diversified industrial distributor serving infrastructure and construction markets with tools, safety, and specialty supplies. Broad incumbent with overlapping categories such as fall protection and construction tools.

Regional players

• Acme Tools: Regional industrial and contractor tool distributor with both retail and online channels across the Upper Midwest. Comparable as a tool/equipment distributor serving contractors, though it competes in a different geography than Panther East.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/panthereast
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/panthereast7928/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/panther.east
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/panther-east
• Instagraminstagram.com/panthereast
• Pinterestpinterest.com/panthereast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Panther East