Sonepar is a leading distributor of electrical equipment and associated solutions founded in 1969 by members of the Coisne and Lambert families in northern France. It now does business in 44 countries through 170 different operating companies, employing some 46,000 associates. In 2018, the company generated a turnover of €22.4 billion ($25.2 billion). With a history dating back to the mid-19th century, the story of Sonepar starts with the coming together of Henri Coisne and Leopold Lambert, who began a textiles company in 1862. By 1960, holding company Societe de Negoce et de Participation (Sonepar) was formed for their non-textile interests. Recognising an opportunity in the electrical supplies and solutions sector, they acquired Comptoir d’Electricité Franco-Belge in 1969 and began their journey as distributors of electrical materials. The strategy of growing by acquisition continued throughout the 1970s, with Sonepar becoming the number one provider of electrical equipment in France by 1991 and continuing to expand across Europe and the rest of the world. Since 2000, the Group has been investing in new territories in Asia and Latin America. Marie-Christine Coisne-Rouquette is the current Chairwoman and CEO of the company. She is the great, great grand-daughter of Henri Coisne.
- Family name: Coisne and Lambert families
- Sector: Consumer Products & Retail
- Founded: 1969
- Founder: Henri Coisne and Leopold Lambert
- Country: France
- Company headquarters: Paris, France
- Revenue: 21.9
- Employees: 43,000
- Website: sonepar.com
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