DATE: November 02, 2021
Who is Our Client?
- Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, Metro Electric Supply and Metro Lighting distribute products regionally to homebuilders and contractors that specialize in residential, commercial and industrial projects.
- The company was founded in 1967 and operates fourteen locations across the St. Louis region, including eight electrical supply locations and six lighting showrooms.
- Metro’s business model provides solutions to both commercial/wholesale and residential/retail markets with customers including electrical contractors, HVAC contractors, manufacturers, cities and municipalities, schools and universities, hotel chains, office, retail and apartment management companies, homebuilders, developers, rehabbers, remodelers, public entities, do-it-yourselfers and the general public.
Why Did Metro Electric Supply Hire Nolan?
- Bill Frisella, Metro’s owner, engaged with Nolan to explore strategic options for transitioning ownership of the company and chose Nolan for the firm’s experience in the electrical wholesale sector.
- The owner’s goals were to find a partner that would continue Metro’s legacy of providing exceptional customer service while also keeping the company locally owned and operated.
What Value Did Nolan Deliver?
- Nolan’s competitive sale process delivered Graybar Electric Company, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, MO, as the ideal buyer for Metro.
- Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services.
- Through its network of more than 292 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency.
- As a subsidiary of Graybar, the company will continue to operate under the Metro Electric Supply and Metro Lighting brand with the same employees, leadership team and suppliers.
- “We are pleased to welcome the Metro Electric Supply and Metro Lighting team to Graybar,” said Kathleen M. Mazzarella, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graybar. “As two well-established St. Louis companies, we believe our future together is bright. We look forward to powering a new era for our companies and for the St. Louis region.”
