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About Us

Mission Statement

  • To develop our people to their maximum potential to serve our customers by providing training, experience and opportunities for growth and advancement.
  • To make "People-to-People" more than a slogan by treating customers as individuals, and by using respect and the highest ethical standards in all business relationships.
  • To always have in stock the material our customers expect and keep a clean modern facility.
  • To provide contractors with quality products that will satisfy their customers' needs at competitive prices.
  • To provide industrial and utility customers with high quality products from recognized manufacturers at reasonable prices.
  • To provide quotations, lighting layouts, specification submittals and other services as needed.
  • To use pricing and credit policies that will pay for the services provided, allow for expansion and growth and give the company a return on its investment.

Value Proposition

Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. is your full-line wholesale distributor of electrical goods, services, and solutions, providing your best opportunity to be part of a winning relationship as a customer, manufacturer, employee, or partner. You are working with caring people who meet or exceed your needs and expectations at the right time and place and at a fair price, using the latest in technology and efficiency, and serving you with safe, well-stocked, and modern facilities, equipment, and business systems. We are an important member of every community in which we conduct business and a good citizen who shares its time, resources, people, and treasure with charitable and community organizations to better the world in which we all are working and living. 

Founding

Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. is an independent wholesale electric distributor serving the state of Kansas and the surrounding states. Stanion was founded in June of 1961 when Bobbe and Jud Stanion purchased an electrical repair and supply business from a local businessman, Charlie Grassman. Grassman's business was located at 113 W. 2nd St. in Pratt, KS – a building which now serves as a photography studio. In 1968 the corporation moved to 812 S. Main St. in Pratt, where it currently resides. Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. opened the business with four employees: Jud Stanion, Bobbe Stanion, Jean Doris Galliart, and Eddy Galliart.

Jud served as inside/counter sales representative. Eddy served as outside sales representative. Bobbe and Jean Doris completed all the office functions such as accounts payable, payroll, accounts receivable, and pricing that are now handled by our corporate offices.


Growth

Stanion's first location outside of Pratt was opened in 1964 in Garden City. In 1966. a third location was opened in Great Bend, and then a location was added in Hays in 1969.

The decision was made to open a branch in Lawrence in 1970 after several trips visiting children attending the University of Kansas. A customer and friend convinced Jud to open a location in Clay Center in 1971 (which would later be moved to Junction City and then on to Manhattan). In 1974, locations were opened in Emporia and Chanute.

A location was opened in Liberal in 1975, and then another the following year in Dodge City. Then in 1980, a decision was made to tackle the first metropolitan area, and a store was opened in Wichita.

Two stores were opened in 1985; one in Lenexa (which would later be moved to Olathe), and another in McPherson. In 1988, a store was opened in Salina.

A location was opened in downtown Kansas City, KS, in 1996, and a Hutchinson branch followed suit in 1998.

Stanion's most recent expansion was in 2011 when a branch in Liberty, MO, was opened.

Remembering

T.J. "Jud" Stanion, age 92, died Sunday, December 12, 2010 at South Wind Hospice in Pratt, KS. He was born November 4, 1918 in Boston, MA to Thomas and Aldah (Witherspoon) Stanion. Jud grew up in White Plains, New York and he earned a bachelor's degree in Commerce from New York University. Jud enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a Lieutenant during World War II at the Tampa Ship Building Co. in Tampa, FL.

Bobbe Stanion, 95, died peacefully March 11, 2016, in her home at Parkwood Village in Pratt, KS. She was born July 20, 1920, in Joplin, Missouri, the daughter of Hazel and Frank Belden. In 1942, she moved to Washington, D.C., and found a job in the Navy Department. She often said that her contribution to the war effort was small; but it was there that she met Jud. They married September 4, 1943, in Washington, D.C., and they were lifetime partners until his death in 2010.

Bobbe and Jud were blessed with two children during their marriage. Their son, Tom, was born in Tampa, FL, in 1945 and their daughter, Cindy, was born in White Plains, NY, in 1948.

Bobbe and Jud lived in many different parts of the United States after their marriage. Jud began his career in wholesale electrical distribution by working for Bobbe's family's business in Joplin, MO. Bobbe enjoyed teaching dance lessons. After several job changes, Jud and Bobbe embarked upon a successful career in their life-long partnership when they started their own business, Stanion Wholesale Electric Co., in Pratt, KS in June of 1961.

As they experienced success in business, they expanded their business by opening branches throughout Kansas. Bobbe retired in 1983 to enjoy her passions of playing golf, working in her flower garden, and playing bridge. Jud remained active in the business until shortly before his death.

Jud and Bobbe believed in giving back to their community and beyond. They were very generous donors of time and resources to many charitable, educational, and community organizations. The beneficiaries of their service and generosity include Pratt Public Schools, Pratt Community College, Pratt Regional Medical Center, Pratt Presbyterian Church, South Central Community Foundation (Jud and Bobbe were founders), and the B29 Memorial. Jud's contributions included serving as an active board member of Pratt School Board, Pratt Regional Medical Center, South Central Community Foundation, Pratt Rotary Club, Pratt Community College Foundations, Kansas Cavalry, and the National Association of Electrical Distributors. Jud was a member of the Pratt Presbyterian Church, Pratt Rotary Club, Park Hills Country Club, BPOE Elks Lodge #1451, and the Pratt Area Chamber of Commerce. Bobbe's special endeavor was the High Rise Apartment Building in Pratt. She was a member of the Pratt Presbyterian Church, P.E.O. Chapter F, and Park Hills Country Club.

They also encouraged and supported charitable, educational and community organizations and causes in many other communities through the company and through its employees.

Jud and Bobbe are survived by a son, Tom, of Shawnee, KS; a daughter, Cindy, and husband Bill of Pratt, KS; six grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.

Present Day

Currently the company operates 16 branch locations in Kansas and one in Liberty, Missouri and maintains its headquarters at 812 S. Main St. in Pratt, KS. The company currently has about 220 employees across the corporation. The functions of finance, accounting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, pricing, purchasing, IT and data center, human resources, payroll, training, communications, and corporate management are all housed at the office in Pratt. Each branch location includes a branch manager, sales staff, warehouse, inventory, delivery vehicles, and other necessities needed to operate on its own.

The ownership and employees of Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. are proud to operate as a family-owned, independent electrical distributor. The company operates with a strong company culture, a small-town work ethic, and an urgency to serve its employees, customers, and vendors.

The company continues to be run as a family business by Bill and Cindy Keller (Cindy is the daughter of Jud and Bobbe Stanion), with Bill Keller serving as President. Stanion Wholesale takes great pride in supporting its communities through financial support and volunteer efforts for community and charitable organizations and activities.

Charities

Stanion Wholesale Electrical Co. donates time and treasure to many worthy causes and organizations in the communities in which it operates. Following is a representative list (though not exhaustive) of the types of contributions and support that are given annually:






    • Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. Charity Golf Classic for Special Olympics Kansas
    • Gold Level Sponsor and contributor of volunteers for Special Olympics Kansas State Summer Games
    • Pratt Regional Medical Center and Pratt Health Foundation
    • Scholarship funds and facilities projects at four state universities in Kansas
    • Scholarship funds and facilities projects at many of the 19 community colleges in Kansas
    • Funds and volunteer efforts to the Kansas 4-H Foundation
    • American Red Cross for local and national disaster relief
    • Funds and materials to many of the local school districts in our service area
    • Funds to local community activities (local youth recreation teams, baseball tournaments, youth programs, etc.) in our service area




The Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. Charity Golf Classic had been held nearly every year since 2000 as a fundraiser for Special Olympics Kansas (SOKS) programs. The Golf Classic is organized each September by SOKS staff and Stanion personnel, with financial support coming from Stanion, its vendors, and customers. Since inception, the Charity Golf Classic has raised more than $1,000,000 for the benefit of SOKS and is already significantly into raising the second $1,000,000.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round training and athletic competition in a variety of sporting events for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. Chris Hahn, SOKS President and CEO, commented on the Stanion Golf Classic, "Your support has greatly enhanced Special Olympics Kansas' ability to provide new and innovative programs. One such program is Healthy Athletes, a program that provides health screenings free of charge to Special Olympics Kansas athletes at competition sites. Offered in a welcoming, family-friendly, and fun environment, these screenings educate athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identify problems that may need additional, professional follow-up. The Special Olympics Kansas Healthy Athletes program has been recognized as one of the six best offered and has resulted in additional grant funding to pilot additional services."

The Stanion Golf Classic allows Stanion to bring together some of its most valuable vendor and customer partners to enjoy a day on the golf course and to use the joy of participation in a valuable fund-raising cause to build stronger relationships and commitment to a great program. The event includes a reception the evening before the tournament, a night's stay in a nearby hotel, a luncheon at the golf course, and a banquet and awards ceremony following the tournament. Some of the SOKS athletes participate in the golf tournament and the awards ceremony.

Bill Keller, Stanion President, said, "The Golf Classic is one of the favorite activities in which our people participate. Our team complements the Golf Classic with other fundraisers and volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Many of our employees and their families participate annually as volunteers at the Special Olympics Kansas State Summer Games, assisting with coordinating and running the games. Two Stanion employees serve on the Summer Games Volunteer Management Team. Further, some of the Stanion branches sponsor their own events each year to support regional Special Olympics events or teams. The value of our sponsorship of SOKS programs is evident every year in the smiles of the Special Olympic athletes and in the expressions of joy and gratitude from their families and friends."

"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."