WCC vs ESAB Comparison

Wesco can be traced back to the late 1800s but was officially founded in 1922, acting as the distribution arm of Westinghouse Electric. Throughout the 1900s, Wesco entered and subsequently exited the consumer electronics, transit, bottling, and nuclear plant distribution markets. It was sold to a private equity firm in 1994 and then went public in 1999, and numerous acquisitions have since been made to fill the gaps in Wesco's geographical and product coverage. Today, the firm primarily distributes electrical, networking, security, and utility equipment used in the construction and repair of structures such as offices, data centers, power transmission lines, and manufacturing plants. Wesco has operations around the globe but generates the majority of its revenue in the United States.

ESAB, spun off from Colfax in 2022, is a leading manufacturer of equipment and consumables used in welding, cutting, and joining applications. Alongside competitors Lincoln Electric and ITW's Miller brand, ESAB is one of the top three players in the welding space. ESAB generated roughly $2.7 billion in revenue in 2024.