Sonepar


Sonepar is an independent electrical products distribution company headquartered in Paris, France. Operating in 40 countries through 90 brands, the group was founded in 1969 and made 32.5 billion euros in sales in 2024.

History

Sonepar was founded in France in 1969 by the Coisne and Lambert families. Their first foray into electrical components was the acquisition of Comptoir d'Électricité Franco-Belge, which sparked a series of similar acquisitions throughout the 1970s. In the 1980s, the company grew worldwide with acquisitions in the Netherlands, Germany and Canada. The family holding Colam Entreprendre, owner of Sonepar and syndicating inheriting descendants of the Coisne and Lambert families, was created in 2000.
Development in the USA was announced as soon as 1986, but really started in 1998 with the acquisition of Boston's Eagle Electric. It was followed by a spree of small and medium acquisitions, building step-by-step Sonepar's US-based distribution network. By 2004, Sonepar USA reached $1 billion in sales. Sonepar's acquisition of Hagemeyer in 2007 significantly increased the group's presence in North America and Asia-Pacific. In 2009, Sonepar became the leading electrical components distribution company worldwide, and during the following years the USA became Sonepar's number one market.
In 2020, Sonepar shifted its focus on industry 4.0 and invested 1 billion dollars in its next-gen global management platform.

Activities

Sonepar is a multinational company specialized in the distribution of electrical products and services, operating in 40 countries through 90 brands. The group is headquartered in Paris, France and made €32.5 billion in sales in 2024. In the USA, Sonepar is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. The USA is the group's largest market with $13.8 billion in sales in 2023.

Governance