Electrical Equipment Distributors
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 7,500 electrical equipment and parts distributors in the US consolidate products across many manufacturers to offer customers wide selections, reasonable prices, and a single point of contact. Major product categories include switchgear and switchboard apparatus; wiring and cable; lighting fixtures; industrial controls; conduit, raceway, and fittings; power and distribution transformers; and motors and generators.
Competition from Alternative Channels
Electrical products are available through a wide variety of channels, including manufacturers, retailers, energy service companies (ESCOs), product specialists, niche service distributors, and distributors of other trades.
Counterfeit Electrical Products
Counterfeit electrical products, often produced outside the US, have infiltrated the supply chain and are raising distributors’ liability risk.
Industry size & Structure
A typical electrical distributor operates out of a single location, employs about 26 workers, and generates about $17 million in annual revenue.
- The electrical distribution industry consists of about 7,500 companies which generate $132 billion annually and employ 195,000 workers.
- Most electrical distributors are small, independent operations - 56% of electrical distributors have a single location and 68% employ fewer than 10 workers.
- Customers include building contractors (29% of sales), other wholesalers and distributors (24%), industrial businesses (10%), retailers (8%), businesses for their own use (19%), and government (4%).
- Large companies include International Electric Supplies, Rexel (Gexpro), Sonepar USA, WESCO Distribution, Graybar Electric, and Consolidated Electrical Distributors.
Industry Forecast
Electrical Equipment Distributors Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Sep 25, 2024 - Architectural Billings Decline
- Demand for building design services declined in August compared to the prior month, marking continued softness for architectural billings, according to a September report by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The AIA’s Architecture Billing Index (ABI) declined to 45.7 in August from July’s reading of 48.2. Any reading of 50 or more indicates growth in architectural billings. August was the nineteenth consecutive month to see a downward trend in billings. The score for new project inquiries was flat at 52.4 in August, but the index for the value of new design contracts increased from 46.5 to 47.3. The AIA’s Chief Economist, Kermit Baker said, “Unfortunately, even the impending interest rate cuts didn’t move the needle on project inquiries or new design contracts at architecture firms. Hopefully, once the trajectory of further cuts gets clarified, delayed projects will restart, and new projects will gather momentum.
- A surge in US electricity demand – driven by data center growth, cryptocurrency mining, building and vehicle electrification, and battery and fuel cell manufacturing - could boost the costs utilities pay for electricity by 19% by 2028, according to a report released in September by consulting firm International Finance Corporation (IFC). Some parts of the country - including Texas, New England, and the Southeast – could see prices rise even more. The IFC report predicts electricity demand will increase by 9% by 2028 and 18% by 2033, or an annual average of about 2% per year compared to 2024 demand levels. To meet the rise in demand, the IFC says utilities will need to leverage new technologies, including AI-enabled efficiencies, along with a balanced mix of new supply.
- The number of building permits issued for single-family, privately-owned housing units, a demand driver for building inspection services, increased 2.8% month-over-month but declined 0.5% year-over-year in August 2024. Single-family housing starts grew by 15.8% month-over-month and increased 5.2% year-over-year in August. Single-family housing completions dropped 5.6% month-over-month but grew 8.4% year-over-year in August. The August rise in housing starts was helped by moderating interest rates. However, builders still face supply-side headwinds, including labor and lot shortages and stubbornly high prices for some types of building materials, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
- Home builder confidence in the single-family market improved in September amid moderating mortgage interest rates, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Home builder sentiment, as measured by the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), rose two points to 41 in July 2024. Any HMI reading over 50 indicates that more builders see conditions as good than poor. September’s gain in the HMI followed four consecutive months of declines. The HMI survey also showed that 32% of builders have reduced home prices to lure potential buyers off the sidelines, although the average price reduction of 5% was the lowest since July 2022. However, while the Fed’s recent rate cut will reduce the cost of land development and construction loans, builders are seeing increased competition from existing home listings in some markets.
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