MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc (MSC), through its subsidiaries, primarily MSC Industrial Supply Co., is one of the largest industrial equipment distributors in the United States, distributing more than 1.5 million metalworking and other industrial products.

History

MSC was founded in 1941 as Sid Tool, Inc., by Sidney Jacobson, in New York's Little Italy. It originally sold cutting tools and accessories to New York City machine shops. The company later moved its headquarters to

Plainview, New York Plainview is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the town of Oyster Bay (town), New York, Oyster Bay in east central Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 27,100. The Plainv ...

. In 1970, Manhattan Supply Company was acquired and, in 1998, moved its headquarters to

Melville, New York Melville is an affluent Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Huntington, New York, Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. The pop ...

, on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

. The company currently operates from five regional Customer Fulfillment Centers and 12 branch offices. In 1997 MSC acquired Enco Manufacturing Company. On June 8, 2006, MSC completed the acquisition of J & L America, Inc. DBA J & L Industrial Supply (J & L), a subsidiary of Kennametal, for $349.5 million. In 2013, Erik Gershwind, Sid Jacobson's grandson, was named President and Chief Executive Officer. In 2013 the company opened its co-headquarters office in

Davidson, North Carolina Davidson is a suburban town in Mecklenburg, Iredell, and Cabarrus counties, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 15,106 at the 2020 census, up from 10,944 in 2010. The town was ...

, which is located in the

Charlotte metropolitan area The Charlotte metropolitan area is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, containing the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, and ...

. The company has expanded to 750 employees at the co-headquarters, with 120 employees making the move to the Carolinas from the Melville office. In 2013, MSC acquired Barnes Distribution North America to expand its footprint in Canada. The business was renamed Class C Solutions Group. In 2017, MSC acquired DECO Tool Supply Co., an industrial supply distributor based in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

, to expand its footprint in the region. In 2018, MSC acquired All Integrated Solutions, a value-added distributor of industrial fasteners and components, MRO supplies and assembly tools based in

Franksville, Wisconsin Franksville is a former census-designated place (CDP) in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,789 at the 2000 census. History Originally occupied by the Potowatomi tribe, the first white settlers in the area then know ...

. In 2019, MSC completed a transaction with TAC Global Solutions, a Mexican industrial distribution company, to expand into Mexico. In 2022, MSC acquired Engman-Taylor, a

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 38,527 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most-populous village in Wisconsin. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. ...

-based distributor of metalworking tools and supplies. That same year, MSC also acquired Tower Fasteners, a Holtsville, New York-based valued-added distributor of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) fasteners and components. In 2023, MSC acquired Buckeye Industrial Supply Co., an independent metalworking distributor based in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, and Tru-Edge Grinding Inc., a St. Henry, Ohio-based custom tool manufacturer. For the quarter ending in May 2025, MSC Industrial (MSM) posted revenue of $971.15 million, reflecting a 0.8% decline year-over-year. Diluted EPS of $1.02 vs. $1.27 in the prior fiscal year quarter. The company reported Adjusted diluted EPS of $1.08 vs. $1.33 in the prior fiscal year quarter.

References

External links

Industrial supply companies Distribution companies of the United States Companies based in Suffolk County, New York Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Companies in the S&P 400 {{manufacturing-company-stub