Sonepar USA Announces Warren del Caribe Management Realignment

PHILADELPHIA, PENN - July 1, 2009 - Sonepar USA announces as of May 1, 2009 Mark Alspaugh, President of Warren del Caribe, and his management team report operationally to Michael C. Wigton, President of the Stuart C. Irby Co. in Jackson, MS. Both companies are part of the Sonepar USA family of businesses.

Warren del Caribe was acquired by Sonepar in 2003 and has 10 branches in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad-Tobago with an export office in Miami that serves the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. Irby was acquired by Sonepar in 2005 and has 52 branches in 22 states and covers the industrial, commercial/contractor and utility markets.

"The synergies between WDC and Irby are numerous,” said Paul Klasing, President of Sonepar USA. “Between similarities in the industrial and contractor businesses they serve, geographical proximity, hurricane emergency preparedness capacities and the fact that there is a tremendous overlap in their existing supplier relations should make for a good working relationship.”

"WDC is a relatively young company in a fast growing market,” explains Klasing. "Irby’s strong internal structure will provide WDC with the additional resources and framework it needs to continue to strengthen its market share.”

Both companies will continue to operate independently as separate businesses which are a key focus of Sonepar’s global strategy.