M&A activity had been quiet in recent months until the past week, when news broke that two regional distributors will be purchased.
Echo Electric/Sonepar plans to acquire Shaw Supply, a full-line electrical distributor located in Kansas City, MO, and Graybar announced its intentions to purchase Broken Arrow Electric Supply, Broken Arrow, OK.
Broken Arrow Electric Supply (BAES) serves the residential, commercial, industrial and OEM markets. The company also offers automation solutions, power distribution centers, specialty wire and cable, light assembly and LED lighting and design. BAES was founded in 1977 and operates seven locations in eastern Oklahoma. The company will continue to operate under the Broken Arrow Electric Supply name with the same team, locations and suppliers.
Shaw Electric is quite possibly the largest remaining family-owned distributor in the Kansas City metropolitan area. A family-owned business since 1957, Shaw Supply brings more than 30 associates to Echo Electric and strengthens the company’s presence in the greater Kansas City market and western Missouri. Its current co-owners, Brian and Patrick Shaw, said in the release, “Joining Echo Electric allows us to provide our associates with expanded opportunities and enhance the capabilities we offer to customers. We could not be more optimistic about the future.”
The acquisition is part of Echo Electric’s strategic plan to create a single platform across the Midwest. In 2025, Echo unified five operations under the Echo brand for a footprint covering 10 states and 500,000 square miles. Echo Electric is also developing specialized services such as quick-ship switchboards and panelboards, substation packaging and sourcing and industrial network assessments.
