Stuart C. Irby Co., a subsidiary of Sonepar USA, expanded its utility presence in the Midwest with the acquisition of Burmeister Electric Co. of Minneapolis, Minn., and High Voltage Testing Laboratories (HVTL) of Fargo, N.D.
Sonepar had a large electrical presence in the Upper Midwest through Viking Electric, Minneapolis, which it acquired in June 2000, and Brook Electrical in metropolitan Chicago.
Burmeister, which has 31 employees, was established in 1919 to serve utility companies in the Upper Midwest. While the initial focus of the company was the supply and service of metering products, the company has grown through the years, both in its product offering and territory, and now serves over 700 utility accounts in eight midwestern states.
Burmeister is a full-line stocking distributor and manufacturers’ agent offering products to the electric utilities for their transmission and distribution
requirements.
HVTL, with 16 employees, is a fully certified testing laboratory offering high-voltage testing services and sales of PPE (personal protective equipment) safety products, used by electric utility lineman and field service personnel in the contractor and industrial markets.
Michael C. Wigton, president of Irby, said, "The people of Burmeister and HVTL have built a very strong business and earned an excellent reputation in our industry. They have developed very strategic and stable relationships with key industry suppliers that create tremendous value for their customers and their company. Burmeister is recognized by a number of manufacturers for their innovative sales approach to multiple markets and have been awarded the agency role in various territories."
The employees of Burmeister Electrical Group, the distribution & transmission segment of Burmeister Electric, will continue to operate under the Burmeister name as a division of Irby. HVTL will transition to operate under the name Irby High Voltage Testing Laboratories to take advantage of the Irby name recognition in the industrial and contractor markets. Lonny Thimjon will continue in his role as president of both divisions.
Under the terms of the agreement, Irby will acquire all four of the Burmeister/HVTL locations; two in Minneapolis, one in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and one in Fargo, N.D.