Ideal Supply Company Limited, a southwestern Ontario wholesale distributor to the electrical, industrial and automotive industries has announced the sale of the company to Deschênes Group Inc.

Deschênes Group is a privately family-owned Canadian company based in Montreal. Founded in 1940, it is the largest Canadian-owned distributor of plumbing supplies in the country. The company has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the past seven years.

With the purchase of Ideal Supply, Deschênes Group will now operate nine companies across Canada, each managed independently. The name Ideal Supply will be retained, and its headquarters and distribution centre will continue to be in Listowel. The management team will also remain intact, as does the franchise affiliation with NAPA—recognized as a North American leader in automotive parts and accessories.

“We are very excited about the future”, says Tim MacDonald, President and CEO of Ideal Supply. “We were focused on finding a buyer whose culture was most aligned with our own—an organization with a caring culture that valued people and put as much effort into professionalism and good management as we did.”

Today’s distribution trends favour larger, integrated and more diverse companies. For Deschênes Group, the acquisition of Ideal Supply broadens the product and service offerings, enlarges the service area and strengthens the buying power of the company. Ultimately these factors are of significant importance in helping customers and suppliers achieve greater success.

Deschênes Group is a member of the Affiliated Distributors (AD) Canada Plumbing & Heating Division, and will continue to maintain Ideal Supply’s affiliation in the Canadian Electrical Sales Division.