We are family owned and operated. Our operating philosophy is to provide high quality merchandise, reasonably priced, and excellent service to meet your expectations.

Personnel and Service

Our biggest strength is the knowledge and experience of our personnel and commitment to excellent service. Our Electric Supply department crew has an average of 20 plus years experience in the electrical business, while our Lighting Gallery showroom sales staff has an average of 30 years plus service with our company providing solutions to your lighting needs and problems.

History

Primarily serving the residential construction and lighting market, Electric Supply Company was started by Leon S. Thomas and first opened its doors on May 4,1964 at 612 E. Depot Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee with 7,600sf of warehouse space and a 2000sf lighting showroom .After 3 years of steady growth, expansion was made into the commercial construction segment. In early 1970, the electrical supply business was moved across the street to 601 Depot Avenue, former site of Knoxville Truck Sales. The lighting showroom remained in the original location and was named The Lighting Gallery. In 1974 construction was completed on the 3,700sf lighting showroom/office complex at 516 Magnolia Ave, with a 6,500sf warehouse, next to the supply department. Business was still increasing in 1982 as Knoxville was hosting the 1982 World’s Fair and entry was made into the industrial market.

In a competitive market area with strong independent distributors, Electric Supply Company and The Lighting Gallery have survived and grown over the years by striving for excellence in filling your needs and providing solutions to the problems of our customers, employees and suppliers. Instrumental in this has been the willingness to be innovative. Inventory control was handled by Kardex prior to computerization in 1992.

Since the early nineties roadway improvements nearby have been in the news, causing us to devise a plan to do what many considered to be the impossible. When we were finally faced with the eminent domain situation during 2004-05, we negotiated with TDOT, acquired three properties, closed an alley, joined all of it together, renovated an existing building, built a new lighting showroom, and moved our whole operation, only closing for business one day! we are now located in our new facility at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and the new Hall of Fame Drive, ( part of the largest TDOT construction project in the State of Tennessee). For further details regarding the Smartfix40 Roadway project, click on the following link http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/smartfix/jwp/

Facilities

Our current facility has over 30,000 sf of warehouse space and the 3,000+sf of The Lighting Gallery showroom features the finest lighting collection in the East Tennessee area, with over 2,000 fixtures displayed on the ceilings walls and floor.

Memberships and Associations

ALA: American Lighting Association
BBB: Better Business Bureau 30 Year Member
EDN: Electrical Distributors Network
KACP: Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership 40 year Member
NACM :National Association of Credit Management
NAHB: National Association of Home Builders
NAED :National Association of Electrical Distributors
NFIB: National Federation of Independent Business