As part of an expanded portfolio of services, electrical and industrial products distributor Wesco International announced it has formed a consortium on innovation, expanded its internet of things (IoT) advisory services and opened an innovation center in Illinois.

The expanded portfolio for Pittsburgh-based Wesco is a synergy resulting from the combination of Wescon and Anixter, Wesco officials said in a news release.

“Our expanded set of services will enable new markets and business opportunities for our suppliers and strategic partners,” said Wesco Chairman, President and CEO John Engel. “Our customers will benefit from our scale and global technical resources to deliver dynamic solutions that drive innovation and together, we will unlock value across our entire ecosystem.”

The announcement comes after Wesco International logged a “record” first-quarter performance in 2023, posting 1Q net sales of $5.5 billion, a 12% year-over-year increase.

Wesco’s Innovation Partner Ecosystem 

Wesco has formed a consortium known as the Innovation Partner Ecosystem to develop solutions to help customers achieve goals around electrification, automation and IoT, grid modernization, security, supply chain consolidation and digitalization. 

Wesco will partner with its customers, installation partners and manufacturer community globally, to innovate and provide strategies that deliver meaningful return on investment, according to company officials. 

Comprising a group of product and software companies, the consortium currently includes: APC, Arcules, Axis Communications, Belden, Bosch, Cisco Meraki, Commscope, Corning, Crestron, DMI, Eaton, Leviton Manufacturing and Panduit.

In March, Wesco also announced the formation of a Data Center Solutions group to focus on solutions for data center lifecycle management.

Wesco Expands Global IoT Advisory Services

Wesco has expanded its global IoT advisory services. As information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) come together, customers across every sector are looking to gain real-time, data-driven insights into their businesses, Wesco officials said.

Through the combination of IT and OT expertise, deployment support, installation enhancement services, broad portfolio of products and supply chain expertise, Wesco and its partners aim to help integrators and end-user customers define a clear path to solving their operational challenges by harnessing IoT.

Wesco Opens New Innovation Center in Illinois

Wesco will develop, co-innovate and demonstrate technologies and connected solutions from strategic suppliers and its Innovation Partner Ecosystem at a new facility in Glenview, Illinois.

Wesco’s has other Innovation Centers located around the world in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, England and India. The facilities offer customers a place to view the company’s capabilities.