Why This Matters to Distributors: As manufacturers increase investments in automation and digital production, distributors are expanding beyond product sales into engineering, controls, and technical services. The partnership reflects a broader shift toward higher-value automation solutions that can strengthen customer relationships and create new sources of revenue.
City Electric Supply (CES) is expanding its industrial automation business through a partnership with Siemens Digital Industries, adding engineering expertise and automation technologies to support manufacturers across North America.
The agreement strengthens CES’s Industrial Automation Solutions (IAS) division, which provides automation engineering, control systems, and technical support through the distributor’s network of more than 750 branches.
The partnership gives customers access to Siemens Digital Industries automation products and engineering support for industrial control and manufacturing projects. IAS also offers products from Wieland, Rittal, Eplan, Lutze and Grace Technologies.
The IAS division designs, builds, and supports industrial automation and control systems intended to improve manufacturing efficiency and simplify system management. Its services include application engineering, programmable logic controller (PLC) systems, control panel design, drive systems, and technical troubleshooting.
CES Vice President of Operations R.T. Smith said the company has assembled a team of specialists to support customers throughout automation projects, from system design and engineering to installation support.
The partnership also expands CES’s One-Line Service, which provides engineering and technical support for electrical infrastructure, including panelboards, switchboards, motor control centers and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
CES said local branches will work with IAS specialists to prepare project quotations, engineering specifications, and product approvals, while specialized automation products will be stocked through the company’s North American fulfillment centers.
The initiative reflects a broader strategy among electrical distributors to expand technical capabilities as manufacturers modernize production facilities and adopt more automated operations. Rather than supplying components alone, distributors increasingly are providing engineering expertise, systems integration, and ongoing technical support for complex automation projects.
Founded in 1983, City Electric Supply is a family-owned electrical distributor headquartered in Dallas. The company operates more than 750 branches across North America and employs more than 5,000 people.
The Siemens partnership expands CES’s industrial automation capabilities as demand continues to grow for automation, digital controls, and smart manufacturing technologies across industrial markets.
Do not miss any content from Distribution Strategy Group. Join our list.
Share this article:
