The company is the result of a merger by three family businesses: Holmes Electric Supply Company, of Portland, Maine; Oakes Electric, of Holyoke, Massachusetts; and RERO Distribution, of Rochester, New York. The three united as Horizon Solutions in 2000. Holmes dates to 1918, Oakes began in 1885, and the RERO business was founded in 1857. Today, Horizon Solutions is a wholesale distributor of electrical and industrial products in upstate New York and northern New England, serving industrial, commercial and institutional customers. Horizon Solutions provides not only electrical contractor supplies, but also products and services for industrial automation, metalworking and other manufacturing functions, as well as services and technology to improve energy efficiency and enhance workplace safety. The company serves a wide variety of industries, from construction to chemicals, and job sites ranging from highly automated manufacturing facilities to elementary schools to Ivy League campuses.