Border States Buys Another Independent: Electrical Wholesale Supply of Utah

One of the last large independent electrical distributors in the Utah market agreed to be acquired by Border States Electric (BSE), Fargo, N.D. Electrical Wholesale Supply of Utah (EWS), based in Salt Lake City with eight branch locations, made a 50-year run as a family business before becoming part of employee-owned BSE.

EWS has locations in Salt Lake City, Orem, Layton, St. George, Logan, Springville, Heber City and Park City, Utah. EWS built a rich history of customer service and consistent growth, with a strong reputation for technical and project management capabilities, serving large and small users and contractors.

“We are delighted to join the Border States team. We are both focused on excellent customer service and share common values,” said Reed Gardner, president of EWS. “We believe Border States’ ESOP and culture provide the best succession plan for our family-owned business. Border States will provide expanded resources and opportunities for our employees and customers.”

The transaction is expected to close on Sept. 30, 2013. Reed Gardner and Arwyn Murphy will continue to lead the EWS branches, and the EWS employees will join the Border States Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and become employee-owners. The company’s eight branches will be known as Electrical Wholesale Supply of Utah, a division of Border States.

Border States has been on a bit of an expansion bender, adding 10 branches so far this year via acquisitions of Utilicor and now EWS, and opening two new locations in Greeley, Colo., and Duluth, Minn.

EWS held the #100 position on EW’s 2013 Top 200 list of the largest electrical distributors. Border States, at #9, will now have over 1,600 employees and 63 branches operating in 14 states.