R.L. Cook Sales & Supply Co. was founded November, 1945 in Seattle, Washington.
With a background in the marine shipbuilding and machinist trades, R.L. Cook saw great economic opportunity in the volume of surplus material that was available at the end of World War II, and he determined to take advantage of it by using his education and experience to form his own company.
The original business focused on the buying of general marine and marine electrical hardware and supplies and selling to a broad cross-section of industrial users and distributors.
The need to supply quality material at the right price under the pressure of tight deadlines was to become the foundation of the company’s customer service philosophy: to go the “extra step” to get the customer what they needed, when they needed it, at a competitive price. That customer service philosophy is still at the heart of R.L. Cook Sales & Supply Co. today.
R.L.’s son Ron took an interest in his father’s business at an early age, and officially took over operation of the company in 1975. Although the company’s market emphasis changed from marine-based material to industrial electrical construction supplies, the business principles and philosophies established by his father continue to guide the company.
- To offer our customers quality material, competitive prices and consistently reliable service.
- To support the community in which we do business.
- To improve the safety and quality of our industry.
Today, R.L.’s son Ron works at the family business, which now serves a nationwide base of electrical distributor customers from large, modern, fully-stocked warehouse facilities in Seattle.
At R.L. Cook Sales & Supply Co., our corporate philosophy is simple: To be your most reliable source of industrial electrical materials and an industry leader in the areas of professionalism and quality standards.