Distributor Acquisitions

J.H. Larson Co. to buy Lappin Lighting

The J.H. Larson Co., Plymouth, Minn., has purchased Lappin Lighting, a full-service lighting showroom located in the historic Minneapolis Warehouse district.

Lappin Lighting has an 18-year history of service to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro commercial and residential lighting market. The family-owned lighting showroom will further enhance J.H. Larson Co.'s growing presence in the lighting market. J.H. Larson owns Pahl's Premier Lighting showroom in Hudson, Wis. Lappin Lighting, a division of Pahl's Premier Lighting, will continue to operate in its current facilities.

The 75-year old J.H. Larson Co. serves the electrical, plumbing and HVAC residential and commercial markets. The company has more than 240 employees in eight branches. They are located in three states with branch and warehouse operations in Plymouth, St. Paul and Fairmont, Minn.; Sioux Falls and Watertown, S.D.; and Hudson, Eau Claire and Hayward, Wis. J.H. Larson Co. is also parent to five Pahl's Designer Showroom locations: Pahl's Kitchen and Bath Collection in St. Paul, Hudson, Eau Claire, and Watertown, as well as Pahl's Premier Lighting in Hudson.

J.H. Larson had 2006 sales of $70 million, according to Electrical Wholesaling's 2007 listing of the Top 200 electrical distributors.

State Electric Supply expands

State Electric Supply Co., Huntington, W.Va., acquired Hobert N. Grubb Co. in Wytheville, Va.

Hobert N. Grubb, the company's founder and namesake, started selling appliances in Wytheville in 1934. While the company still sells appliances, its focus has shifted to serving the burgeoning industrial market of the Wytheville area. The company has six employees including Mike Aker and Randall Caviness, the former owners. Plans are already underway to move the business into a new building in Wytheville.

With this purchase, State Electric Supply now has five locations in Virginia and 34 total locations serving markets there and in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina.