In separate transactions, Crescent Electric Supply Co., East Dubuque, Ill., agreed to acquire Westar Electric Supply Co., Portland, Ore., and Tri-Electric Supply of San Marcos, Calif., including Tri-Electric's branch in Las Vegas that operates under the name Service Electric Supply. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
Crescent's management team sees the acquisitions as a milestone. "It's really our first major expansion in California," said Dick Schmid, vice president of marketing and sales. "It makes us really coast-to-coast, border-to-border." Tri-Electric has two locations and 110 employees, with annual sales of $81 million in 1996. Westar Electric Supply had 1996 sales of about $23 million.
Tim Black, president of Tri-Electric Supply, will continue to manage those operations. Dave Graff will continue to manage the Service Electric Supply branch. Crescent has changed Service Electric's name to Crescent Electric Supply and is expected to change Tri-Electric's name sometime in the future.
The acquisition of Westar Electric Supply expands Crescent's presence in Oregon. Westar Electric Supply made the news in September 1996 when Portland-based North Pacific Lumber Co. bought it as part of a plan to expand into electrical distribution. Westar was to be the first stage of a multiple-acquisition expansion into this market but North Pacific has changed plans.
Paul Francis, president of Westar Electric Supply, will continue to manage those operations.