St. Louis-based electrical and communications distributor Graybar wrapped up 2025 with record net sales of $12.9 billion and a modest uptick in profit as it completed a year-long technology overhaul. The employee-owned giant credited the performance to surging services for data centers, industrial automation and electrification projects, with executives pointing to new distribution capacity and digital upgrades as the real engine behind the results.
For 2025, Graybar reported net sales of $12.9 billion, a 10.6% jump from 2024, while net income inched up about 2% to $431.4 million, according to PR Newswire. In the company’s statement, CEO Kathleen M. Mazzarella cast the numbers as a milestone in Graybar’s 100th year and directly linked them to its ongoing Graybar Connect transformation program.
ERP Overhaul Powers Graybar Connect
Industry coverage reports that Graybar finished a large-scale ERP conversion in 2025 as a core piece of Graybar Connect, an initiative that leadership says will underpin automation and future AI tools, according to MDM. Executives have described the technology upgrade as a short-term drag on costs that is expected to deliver longer-term gains in speed and scalability across the company’s distribution network.
New Hubs and Strategic Buys Expand Capabilities
The company opened three STAR Centers in Reno, Dallas and Atlanta to stage materials closer to major construction projects, according to tEDmag. Graybar also pushed deeper into automation and systems integration through acquisitions. A release from Valin confirmed that Burns Controls joined its Valin subsidiary in July, and company regulatory filings with the SEC show Advantage Industrial Automation acquired Orbit Motion Systems in January.
Local Impact and the Road Ahead
Local business outlets framed the showing as a solid win for the St. Louis economy and a reminder of Graybar’s clout among employee-owned companies, as reported by the St. Louis Business Journal. Industry reporting suggests the new STAR Centers and automation-focused acquisitions could trim days off delivery times for large contractors and ease some nagging supply-chain bottlenecks, according to Industrial Distribution.
What To Watch In 2026
Analysts are expected to track whether Graybar Connect turns into sustained margin improvement and whether the STAR Centers and recent acquisitions show up as market-share gains and quicker deliveries, according to MDM. The company says it plans to open additional STAR Centers in 2026 and will keep investing in AI, logistics and supply-chain tools to support its growth trajectory.
