Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 4, 2026

Sonepar

Sonepar is an independent electrical products distribution company headquartered in Paris, France. Operating in 40 countries, the group was founded in 1969 and made 33.6 billion euros in sales in 2025.

Last revised
Jul 4, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
480 w
Citations
14
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Sonepar
Company type
Private
IndustryDistribution B2B
Founded1969
Headquarters
Paris
,
France
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Philippe Delpech (President and CEO)
ProductsElectrical products and services
RevenueIncrease€ 33.6 billion1 (2025)
Websitewww.sonepar.com

Sonepar (French: Société de Négoce et de Participation) is an independent electrical products distribution company headquartered in Paris, France. Operating in 40 countries, the group was founded in 1969 and made 33.6 billion euros in sales in 2025.2

History

Sonepar was founded in France in 1969 by the Coisne and Lambert families. Their first foray into electrical components was the acquisition of Comptoir d'Électricité Franco-Belge (CEFB), which sparked a series of similar acquisitions throughout the 1970s. In the 1980s, the company grew worldwide with acquisitions in the Netherlands (Technische Unie), Germany (Otto Kuhmann) and Canada (Lumen in Québec). The family holding Colam Entreprendre, owner of Sonepar and syndicating inheriting descendants of the Coisne and Lambert families, was created in 2000.34

Development in the USA was announced as soon as 1986, but really started in 1998 with the acquisition of Boston's Eagle Electric. It was followed by a spree of small and medium acquisitions, building step-by-step Sonepar's US-based distribution network. By 2004, Sonepar USA reached $1 billion in sales.5 Sonepar's acquisition of Hagemeyer in 2007 significantly increased the group's presence in North America and Asia-Pacific.67 In 2009, Sonepar became the leading electrical components distribution company worldwide,3 and during the following years the USA became Sonepar's number one market.8

Activities

Sonepar is a multinational company specialized in the distribution of electrical products and services, operating in 40 countries. The group is headquartered in Paris, France and made €33.6 billion in sales in 2025.9 In the USA, Sonepar is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. The USA is the group's largest market with $13.8 billion in sales in 2023.810

Governance

  • 1998-2024: Marie-Christine Coisne-Roquette3
  • Since 2024: Philippe Delpech11
References

References

  1. Matériel électrique : le français Sonepar, ce discret leader mondial qui veut encore creuser l'écart, by Julia Lemarchand, Les Echos, March 23, 2026
  2. Matériel électrique : le français Sonepar, ce discret leader mondial qui veut encore creuser l'écart, by Julia Lemarchand, Les Echos, March 23, 2026
  3. Colmant, Patricia M. (2009-10-15). "Sonepar, un géant très discret". Les Échos (in French). Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  4. Boudet, Antoine (2007-10-10). "Sonepar, un groupe familial de dimension planétaire". Les Échos (in French). Retrieved 2025-05-16.
  5. Lucy, Jim (2004-07-01). "The Many Faces of Sonepar". Electrical Wholesaling. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  6. "Rexel, Sonepar offer $4.6 bln to break up Hagemeyer". Reuters. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  7. "Sonepar Connects With Dutch Rival in $3.5 Billion Deal". The New York Times. 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
  8. Hockett, Mike (2024-05-10). "A Study of Sonepar's North American Acquisition Journey". Modern Distribution Management. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
  9. Matériel électrique : le français Sonepar, ce discret leader mondial qui veut encore creuser l'écart, by Julia Lemarchand, Les Echos, March 23, 2026
  10. "Sonepar Reports $13.8 Billion in 2023 U.S. Sales". Electrical Wholesaling. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  11. "Marie-Christine Coisne passe discrètement le relais chez Sonepar". La Lettre (in French). 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
External links