Loeb Electric

What Loeb Electric does

Loeb Electric, Inc. is a family-owned, third-generation electrical material distributor and service provider founded in 1912 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The company distributes electrical and lighting supplies — including lighting, wire and cable, data and communication products, tools and equipment, and lighting controls — from major manufacturers, augmented by a portfolio of value-added services: project management, vendor-managed inventory (VMI) and kitting, 24/7 nationwide electrical maintenance, wire and strut processing, environmental solutions (EV charging, solar, microgrids, recycling), and credit account servicing. It operates 4 distribution centers and 4 retail stores in central Ohio across roughly 340,000 sq. ft. of warehouse storage with a 32-35 truck delivery fleet, and reaches 73% of the U.S. population within 20 hours from its Columbus base.

The company's commercial model is a hybrid of enterprise field sales for national accounts (Walmart, Amazon, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Gap, Chipotle, and Wendy's among the named logos) and a contractor-facing regional business in central Ohio supplemented by an e-commerce storefront with smart-locker pickup. A 600+ licensed-contractor network enables nationwide preventative and reactive maintenance for multi-site enterprises under standardized processes managed by centralized project teams. Proprietary technology includes the RightLight material reordering platform, an enterprise project management suite with real-time mobile accessibility, Advanced Shipping Notifications, and Smart Loeb Lockers for 24/7 will-call pickup; the 2021 MDM Digital Innovator Award and the tED Magazine Best of the Best 2020 website award underline the company's emphasis on operational tooling rather than novel technology.

Revenue mechanics are split across product distribution (transaction-based), bundled professional services (project management, lighting and energy solutions), and managed services (national maintenance programs and VMI). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; commercial customers apply for credit accounts (typically reviewed within 3-5 business days). Ownership remains fully inside the Loeb family across three generations (President Charles Loeb since 1982); no external institutional capital has been raised. The company ranked #27 in the Columbus Business First Largest Privately Held Companies list by 2021 revenue and was included in Electrical Wholesaling's 2022 Top 150 U.S. electrical distributors. In March 2024 it joined Affiliated Distributors (AD) to expand its independent buying power and digital toolset.

Name

Loeb Electric

Legal name

Loeb Electric, Inc.

Website

https://loebelectric.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Loeb Electric is a 110+ year-old, family-owned national electrical material distributor and service provider based in Columbus, Ohio, serving enterprise national accounts (retail, restaurant, data center, government), electrical contractors in central Ohio, and SMB walk-in customers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Distribution

SIC

Miscellaneous Electrical Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (3690)

akta.pro primary industry

Lighting & Electrical Supplies for Home Distribution (CRAOAFAG)

Keywords

• Electrical distribution
• Lighting supplies
• Electrical project management
• Industrial electrical services
• Energy management solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrical & Lighting Product Sales: Core revenue from distribution and sale of electrical supplies, lighting fixtures, wire, cable, data/communication products, tools, and equipment from major manufacturers. Sales are transaction-based with both one-time project purchases and recurring maintenance supply orders.
2. Professional Services: Project management services for electrical construction and lighting projects, including design, logistics coordination, installation oversight, and maintenance services. Services are typically bundled with product sales for national accounts and major projects.
3. Lighting & Energy Solutions Services: LED lighting upgrades, energy audits, lighting design, photometric analysis, and environmental solutions including EV charging station installation, solar projects, and microgrid planning.
4. Nationwide Maintenance Programs (EMPs): Centralized electrical maintenance programs for national accounts and multi-site facilities, providing 24/7 preventative and reactive maintenance through contractor network.
5. Inventory Management Services: Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), kitting, consigned inventory, and logistics management services that help customers reduce carrying costs and improve jobsite productivity.
6. Wire & Strut Processing Services: Custom wire cutting, phase taping, strut cutting, harness reel creation, and pulling head installation services that add value to material distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Loeb Electric is a national electrical material supplier and service provider, distributing quality electrical and lighting supplies (lighting, wire/cable, data/communication products, tools, and equipment) from major manufacturers. The company complements product distribution with professional services including project management, nationwide electrical maintenance, inventory management and logistics (VMI, kitting, smart lockers), wire and strut processing, and environmental solutions (LED upgrades, EV charging, solar, microgrid). It serves both national multi-location brands and electrical contractors through a hybrid model of dedicated account teams, retail stores, and e-commerce.

Product overview

Loeb Electric is a national electrical material supplier offering a comprehensive portfolio of electrical and lighting products and services. The core offering centers on electrical and lighting supplies (lighting, electrical distribution, wire/cords/cables, tools & equipment, data & communication, and lighting controls) complemented by professional services including project management, inventory management & logistics, electrical maintenance, wire & strut services, and environmental solutions (EV charging, solar, microgrid). Additional services include smart lockers for 24/7 pickup, VMI, kitting, and credit account management. The company also distributes iTOOLco branded tools and offers industry-specific solutions for data centers, national accounts, contractors, multi-family construction, restaurants, and roadways. RightLight is their proprietary material reordering platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electrical & Lighting Supplies Distribution of quality electrical and lighting materials from trusted brands including lighting fixtures, electrical distribution products, wire/cords/cables, tools & equipment, data & communication products, and lighting controls for commercial, industrial, and residential projects.
• Lighting & Energy Solutions Commercial LED lighting and energy solutions including lighting design, photometric analysis, facility audits, LED upgrades and retrofits, and utility rebate management for multi-site commercial customers.
• Professional Project Management End-to-end electrical project management services including customized project schedules, digital milestone tracking, custom KPI reporting, consolidated shipping, and scalability for single or 1,500+ location rollouts.
• Electrical Maintenance Programs Nationwide electrical maintenance programs for national accounts including 24/7 reactive emergency service, preventative maintenance, infrared thermography, and arc fault mitigation delivered through a network of 600+ licensed contractors across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
• Inventory Management & Logistics Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) using cages, Conex trailers, and consigned inventory; kitting; Advanced Shipping Notifications (ASN); 24/7 Smart Loeb Lockers for will-call pickup; and recycling solutions.
• Wire & Strut Services Custom wire cutting, phase taping, stacked runs, pulling head installation, and strut services including custom cuts, bundling, and kitting to add value to material distribution.
• Environmental Solutions Commercial environmental solutions including EV charging infrastructure (ChargePoint, Blink/SemaConnect), energy-saving lighting, solar energy storage, microgrid systems, and sustainability reporting.
• Data Center Electrical Supplies & Services Mission-critical electrical supplies and services for data centers including wire, power distribution equipment, cable bus, cable tray, lighting & controls, conduit & strut, and DataComm solutions.
• Credit Account Services Credit account application and management for qualified commercial customers to establish payment terms with Loeb Electric, with application review within 3-5 business days.
• iTOOLco Tools Quality time-saving tools for electrical contractors including Cannon 3K-12K wire pullers, Strut Driver, All Jack, Ground Rod Dawg, and Safe Pull running line tension meter.
• Smart Lockers 24/7/365 automated, secure material pickup system for will-call orders, eliminating wait times and enabling contactless pickup at the 5th Avenue and Hilliard locations in central Ohio.
• RightLight Platform Proprietary material reordering platform that automates inventory updates, streamlines ordering and invoicing, and provides real-time accessibility to inventory and orders for customers.
• Multi-Family Construction Services Electrical and lighting services for apartments, condominiums, and mixed-use developments covering all project stages from start to finish.
• Roadway Electrical Services Electrical supplies and services for roadway construction including ODOT QPL-approved materials, conduit, pull boxes, junction boxes, and airport lighting cable.
• Restaurant Electrical Services Electrical and lighting services for restaurants including LED signage, sneeze guard upgrades, Littelfuse Shock Block installations, consolidated shipping, and kitting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pick over 500 orders—consisting of 8,000 lines—daily
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Affiliated Distributors (AD)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 February 2024Loeb Electric announced membership in Affiliated Distributors, an organization committed to growing independent distributors, effective March 1, 2024. AD provides network benefits, digital tools, leadership and sales training, and increased buying power to strengthen Loeb's competitive position.
• Eaton Electrical Engineering Services and SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Eaton's electrical engineering services team for commercial microgrid solutions. Combines Loeb's project management and electrical expertise with Eaton's proven products and industry leadership.
• Waste ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Waste Management, the nation's leading environmental solutions company, to provide fully customizable recycling solutions including fluorescent lamps, lighting ballasts, batteries, electronics, and mercury-containing devices.
• Smart ColumbusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Smart Columbus initiative committed to proactively meeting transportation, energy & building, and digitalization goals by 2025. Part of Loeb's sustainability and community engagement initiatives.
• Key Cable and SupplyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with EDGE/SBE-certified business to help customers meet State of Ohio requirements for government and roadway construction projects.
• National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud supporter of NECA, the premier association representing electrical contractors. Supports industry standards and professional development for electrical construction industry.
• Acuity BrandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership with Acuity Brands, which has taken The Climate Pledge as part of an ambitious goal of attaining net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Working with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
• SignifycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership with Signify focused on increasing energy efficiency of products and reducing energy use in production. Signify's 'Brighter Lives, Better World 2025' commitment guides joint sustainability efforts.
• LegrandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership with Legrand Group committed to reducing energy and resource intensity. Formal commitment to Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) targeting 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McNaughton-McKay Electric Company: Regional electrical distributor in the Midwest and Southeast serving industrial, contractor, and commercial customers. Comparable multi-line electrical and lighting distribution with value-added services.
• Summit Electric Supply: Large independent US electrical distributor serving industrial, commercial, and contractor customers. Comparable product breadth, services, and customer-segment mix to Loeb.
• Elliott Electric Supply: Mid-sized US electrical distributor serving commercial, industrial, and contractor markets. Competes with Loeb for contractor and small-to-mid commercial account business, especially in regional expansion.
• Border States Electric Supply: Employee-owned US electrical distributor with strong presence in the central US. Direct competitor for contractor supply, data center builds, and industrial accounts; comparable in scale to Loeb.

Others

• Affiliated Distributors (AD): Member-owned marketing/buying group of independent electrical and other specialty distributors. Loeb joined AD in March 2024; comparable members include peer regional distributors that benefit from AD collective buying power.

Broad incumbents

• Graybar Electric Company: One of the largest US electrical, lighting, and communications distributors with national footprint. Directly comparable in serving national accounts with full-line electrical and lighting products, value-added services, and project-management capabilities.
• WESCO International: Large US distributor of electrical, communications, and utility products with strong services arm. Overlaps Loeb on national-account electrical supply, lighting, and project services.
• Rexel USA: Major US electrical distributor operating brands including Rexel and Capital Light. Competes with Loeb for multi-site commercial and industrial electrical distribution contracts.
• Consolidated Electrical Distributors (CED): One of the largest electrical distributors in the US, serving contractors, industrial customers, and commercial accounts. Comparable scale and customer mix to Loeb's contractor and national-account business.
• Sonepar North America: Global electrical distributor with significant US operations through banners such as North Coast Electric and Codale. Direct competitor to Loeb in serving national-account electrical and lighting programs at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCf19daJnVrqrZBBrRbvE5cg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Loeb-Electric-392045090914672
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/loeb-electric
• Instagraminstagram.com/loebelectric
• TikToktiktok.com/@loebelectric
• Xx.com/loebelectric

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Loeb Electric