Customer Service
You probably know us as an electrical distributor, but did you know that E.B. Horsman & Son began as a humble hardware store in 1900?
Now, 122 years later, our business is still going strong. We’re the largest independent, employee and family-owned electrical supplier in Western Canada. From the beginning, five generations of the Horsman family have run the company, now led by President and CEO Tim Horsman.
Let’s take a trip back in time to see how we got here!
Armed with a knapsack and an adventurous spirit, our company’s co-founder, George Dennis Horsman, left his home of Hamilton, Ontario to board the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), bound for the West.
He stopped in Regina to work in a local hardware store. Not long after, he learned that a similar shop in Moosomin, Saskatchewan—a village along the railway—was up for sale. George Dennis contacted his father, Edward B. Horsman, and the two decided to buy the store in the fall of 1900. This was the start of the E.B. Horsman & Son legacy we know today.
After getting married and honeymooning in B.C., George Dennis fell in love with the West Coast. Within 24 hours, they decided to relocate the hardware store to Vancouver. A few hours later, they cashed in their return tickets, telegraphed E.B. and invited him to join them in paradise. In the fall of 1907, they opened the first Vancouver store at 819 Granville St.
And although the hardware business was booming, with the recent invention of the incandescent lamp, the market for electrical products was growing. The family added a small electrical supply division in 1923 and then, with great foresight, pivoted the business to focus solely on electrical wholesale distribution. They haven’t looked back since.
E.B. Horsman & Son continued as a family-run business, as George Dennis’ two sons, Harry and Edward, joined the company in the 1930s, and Harry’s son George took over in the 1970s. It remains so today with Harry’s grandson Tim at the helm.
Our company reached many important milestones over the years:
We’re proud to be one of the most progressive, independent, family-owned, full-line electrical supply companies in Canada. With the recent opening of our new 12,000-square-foot branch in Victoria, and our Corporate Divisional Office, we now have 22 locations, the largest branch network in Western Canada. We also have a centralized distribution centre with shared inventory, allowing us to ship products to any of our locations within one to two days.
We’ve proudly helped build up many communities over the years—particularly along the CPR railway lines in our early days. “Helping communities thrive” has long been our tagline, and we demonstrate this in the many ways we give back, such as scholarships, fundraising, donations, and green initiatives. Thanks to your generous support over the years, we’ve donated more than $1 million since 1993 to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. We were especially pleased to reach this milestone on our 120th anniversary in 2020.
We’re also big on purchasing and distributing locally, and we’re particularly proud of our staff’s expertise and long tenure. Proudly, we’re honoured to be one of Canada’s best managed companies for thirteen consecutive years.
We’re also big on purchasing and distributing locally, and we’re particularly proud of our staff’s expertise and long tenure. Proudly, we’re honoured to be one of Canada’s best managed companies for thirteen consecutive years.
Our success is not really a secret. 122 years later, we’re still here— strong and proud—because of loyal customers like you, our knowledgeable staff, and strong relationships with our 600 plus supplier partners. Because in the end, we believe that everyone builds Horsman.
Interested in learning more about our history and legacy? Check out our history page! Or get in touch with one of our team members to find out how we can help meet your company’s electrical needs.
Customer Service
1.888.467.7626