Border States to Acquire Nevada’s WEDCO

WEDCO leadership has reached an agreement in principle to join Border States, Fargo, ND. WEDCO is a 100% employee-owned electrical distributor in Nevada with 73 employee-owners in four locations: Reno (headquarters), Fallon, Carson City and Winnemucca. This agreement between WEDCO and Border States is pending all required approvals. 

“As we work through the process of closing the transaction, it’s exciting to know that our employee-owners will have expanded resources to serve Nevada,” said Rich Stoltz, WEDCO’s president, in the press release. “Border States is 100% American-owned and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) — it has existing relationships with contractors involved in large-scale projects in the Northern Nevada market and expertise in the utility and industrial markets that will help entry and growth in these market sectors.”

According to the press release, both Border States and WEDCO are 100% employee-owned through ESOPs, making them a natural fit for each other. “We are excited for this opportunity to expand into Nevada and to do so with such an outstanding company — an ESOP, fueled by a great team of employee-owners" said Jason Seger, president and CEO of Border States, in the press release. “Our coming together represents a great opportunity for the employee-owners of WEDCO, for customers and for vendors.  I’m excited for the success we will deliver together as we combine our network, scale and overall resources with their local relationships and know-how as the most trusted name in the Reno area.” 

WEDCO primarily serves the construction and industrial markets in the Nevada area. Their expertise spans industrial automation and controls, residential and commercial projects, and the utility and mining sectors. WEDCO, now in its 76th year, was founded in 1950 and acquired by Dick Elmore and partners shortly thereafter. The Elmore family’s vision and commitment guided them for decades — always focused on strong relationships. In 2008, they began transitioning to an ESOP and are now 100% employee-owned.  

Border States is ranked as the sixth largest electrical distributor in the United States by Electrical Wholesaling magazine. The company has more than 3,600 employee-owners and 125 branches in 31 states.