Celebrating 125 Years of Serving Western Canada’s Electrical Community!

Over the past 125 years, we’ve committed to building a legacy of family, community, and innovation as Western Canada's largest independent electrical supplier. After all these years, we’re still proudly Canadian, family-owned, and dedicated to growth and positive local impact in the communities we serve. We’re excited to celebrate 125 years of success with you!

Our story began in 1900, when our founding father, George Dennis Horsman, established a small hardware shop in the rural Saskatchewan village of Moosomin. We’re certain he would be beaming with gratitude and pride to know that he had planted the seed for what would become Western Canada’s leading independent electrical distributor.

Read more about our history, including how we switched our focus from hardware to electrical in the 1920s, and learn more about us and how we connect communities.

Over the years, we’ve pulled together as a team to reach more than a few major achievements. Take a stroll with us down memory lane!

Early 1900s: In 1900, Dennis Horsman’s son Edward Bodwell (E.B.) and his son, George Dennis, open E.B. Horsman & Son Retail Hardware Merchants in Moosomin, Sask. They relocate the hardware store to Vancouver at 819 Granville St. in 1907 and establish an electrical supply department in 1918.

1920s–’30s: In 1925, the company focuses on being an electrical wholesaler. The first branch location opens in Victoria in 1937.

1940s–’50s: George’s sons Harry and Edward take over the company reins in 1948. Head office moves to Powell Street in Vancouver in 1957.

1970s–’80s: George Edward (Harry’s son) becomes company President in 1975. In 1980, Horsman Controls launches as a separate company and exclusive B.C. distributor of Automation and Control products.

Did You Know?

During the electronic revolution of the ‘70s and ‘80s, we opened 12 new branches in B.C. We were also the only family-owned electrical distributor in B.C. to survive the recession in the ‘80s.

1990s: We join the Affiliated Distributors network in 1993, the same year BC Children’s Hospital Foundation becomes our charity of choice (we’ve raised more than $1.33 Million for the foundation over the years). Tom Muldoon, our first non-family partner, becomes President and General Manager in 1994. Our quality system is officially recognized as ISO 9001 in 1996.

Early 2000s: Our Data Communications Division is created in 2000, and our new ERP system is implemented (Epicor’s Profit 21) in 2003. In 2005, we launch our first online shop. In 2009, we’re named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies Award (the first of 15 consecutive years, including in 2024). 

2010s: Tim Horsman becomes President and CEO and our head office moves to 25th Ave. in Surrey, B.C. in 2011. Albrite Lighting joins our family in 2013. We open our first Alberta location in Edmonton in 2015 and a second location in Calgary the following year. In 2018, we acquire Saskatoon-based Intec Controls, bringing us back to the province where we began nearly 100 years prior! That same year, MCL joins us, expanding our Process, Automation and Controls Division. In 2019, our Surrey Distribution Centre expands to 103,000 sq. ft. to supply our branches in three provinces.

While our head office is based in Surrey, B.C., we’re proud to say that we now have 23+ locations in Western Canada where we employ 400+ people. We opened our second corporate office in Port Kells in 2023 in response to the company’s increased growth in customers, employees, partners, and demand for our services, and we’re always looking to expand our family. Read about a few of our key branches, such as our Burnaby branch which just celebrated its 10th anniversary! 

We work with more than 600 supplier partners and offer 20,000+ electrical products through our ISO 9001 Central Distribution Centre in Surrey, B.C. We’re especially proud of the Canadian-made products we offer. In 2024, we launched our new e-commerce website to serve our customers better, and we opened a new distribution centre in Northwest Edmonton.

In a landscape of global competitors, it hasn’t always been easy. But we’ve adapted to our customers’ needs along the way, and we’re still family- and employee-owned. We’re proud to say that since our beginning, five generations of the Horsman family have run the company, which President and CEO Tim Horsman has led since 2011.

Today, we offer everything electrical for local contractor quotes and large-scale corporate contracts. We’ll continue to evolve — and innovate — along with the electrical world, just as we always have. But we remain committed to the local markets we serve in B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan. 

We’re on a mission to prioritize Canadian communities, industries, and values while providing high-quality electrical products and a wide range of services. Our steadfast dedication to Canadian values has built our reputation based on trust and reliability in the local electrical industry. Learn more about our business, including how we support projects of all sizes and put people first by giving back to local communities.

Join us in celebrating our 125th anniversary! It’s a huge milestone, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Whether you’re a valued customer, dedicated employee, or trusted supplier, you are the reason we’ve made it this far. We look forward to continuing to work with you, and supporting the incredible communities we serve, for many more years!