An article in this month’s issue of Electrical Wholesaling picks the most interesting electrical news of 2005. In the second of two articles based on that report, EM takes a look at the companies and trends that made news during the past year.

Rumors are starting to swirl on other potential acquisitions of large regional distributors. Sonepar’s purchase of Stuart C. Irby, Jackson, Miss., rumors of Home Depot’s interest in Hughes Supply, and reports of private-equity firms courting electrical distributors make one wonder if the electrical industry is on the threshold of a new round of super-sized acquisitions. Although most of the 2005 acquisitions were relatively small, the stage may be set for some sizeable acquisitions by companies from inside or outside the business that would use the purchases of electrical distributors with large regional footprints to quickly build a national presence.

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Thank-you from the staff of Electrical Marketing.