WESCO acquires wire and cable distributor

Industrial Distribution Staff -- Industrial Distribution, 10/3/2006 8:11:00 AM

WESCO International Inc., a distributor of electrical construction products, agreed to acquire Communications Supply Holdings Inc., a distributor of low voltage network infrastructure and industrial wire and cable products.

Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, Pittsburgh-based WESCO, which ranked 4th on INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION’s Top 10 list of electrical distributors, said it expects the acquisition to immediately increase 2006 earnings by 4 cents a share and boost 2007 earnings from 35 cents to 40 cents a share.

The deal is expected to close in early November.

Carol Stream, Ill.-based Communications Supply Corp., the operating subsidiary of Communications Supply Holdings Inc. was founded in 1972. Prior to the deal with WESCO, the company was owned by Harvest Partners LLC, a New York-based private equity firm.

CSC had 2005 sales of $431 million and sales of approximately $394 million as of Aug. 31.