COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 42161

Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Construction Materials Wholesalers

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

12companies1865–1997founding years12still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedCameron & Barkley Company
1865
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
1879
TechnologyEdison demonstrates a practical incandescent lamp.
FoundedMoore-Handley, Inc.
1881
1882
TechnologyEdison's Pearl Street Station opens the electric-utility era.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedNoland Company
1919
FoundedGenuine Parts Company
1928
1931
EconomyThe Empire State Building rises in just over a year.
FoundedElectrocomponents PLC
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedSemtech Corporation
1960
FoundedTyco International Ltd.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedBenchmark Electronics, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedNovar plcFoundedSLI, Inc.
1985
FoundedCree Inc.
1987
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedL-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Cameron & Barkley Company →
Active · founded 1865
Cameron & Barkley Company is one of the oldest and best known providers of industrial and electrical supplies in the…
Moore-Handley, Inc. →
Active · founded 1881
Moore-Handley, Inc.
Noland Company →
Active · founded 1919
Noland Company is a wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, electrical, and…
Genuine Parts Company →
Active · founded 1928
Genuine Parts Company is one of the largest automobile parts suppliers in the United States, providing parts to about…
Electrocomponents PLC →
Active · founded 1937 · United Kingdom
Electrocomponents PLC sits in the top tier of U.K.
Semtech Corporation →
Active · founded 1960
Semtech Corporation, headquartered in Newbury Park, California, develops and manufactures analog and mixed-signal…
Tyco International Ltd. →
Active · founded 1962 · Bermuda
Tyco International Ltd.
Benchmark Electronics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Benchmark Electronics, Inc., based in Angleton, Texas, provides electronic manufacturing services to original equipment…
Novar plc →
Active · founded 1985 · United Kingdom
Novar plc is a U.K.-based corporation consisting of three primary business segments: security systems, aluminum product…
SLI, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
For the past 29 years, SLI, Inc.
Cree Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Cree Inc.
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., through its L-3 Communications Corp.
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