Electrical and industrial supplies distributor Border States has unveiled a new logo that the company says will help solidify its name, which has been somewhat ambiguous over the past decade.

On May 3, Border States announced that CEO David White and President Jason Seger held a live, companywide broadcast in which they debuted a new logo and clarified the company’s name while addressing an audience of over 250 Border States leaders at the company’s Fusion Leadership Conference. 

“We use at least three names when we refer to ourselves: Border States, Border States Electric and BSE — we need to move forward with one name,” White said. “We know Border States Electric doesn’t fit us anymore — we are much more than that. And BSE is simply a shortened version of Border States Electric. In the end, we are Border States.”

White elaborated that the previous BSE “brick” logo was a shortening of Border States Electric, and needed updating. The company’s founding in 1952 was as Thompson Stolee Company, a distributor to the electric utility industry. That was changed to Border States Electric Supply Company in 1962, and the BSE brick logo was introduced in 1988.

“With 23 years of service to the company, I do have an emotional tie to the BSE brick,” said Seger, who joined the company in 1999 as an intern. “It has served us well for over 30 years, and it holds a special place in the company’s history. We have grown and evolved, and this is part of our continued transformation. As we transition to a new logo, we will honor the remarkable history of the company and the logo that represented it while looking ahead to the bright future that we are creating together.”

Along with the new logo comes a new company tagline: “Border States. For the Unstoppable.”

“Our customers’ work does not stop; it cannot stop — too many people are counting on them, and we know unstoppable businesses should not go it alone,” White said. “The word ‘unstoppable’ best describes the people and the industries we work with each day. Always on, always ready, to keep the world going.” 

White added that the new visual identity transformation will happen over the next year, although the public will begin to see the new logo this summer.

Employee-owned Border States, which has about 2,600 employees across 100 branches in 24 states, also has announced a new branch location and its 2021 Supplier of the Year Awards. On May 2, the company said it has opened new location in Jacksonville, Arkansas as of April 1. Plans were announced for the 35,000-square-foot facility in January 2021. The new branch now serves as a centralized location for distribution center operations int he Summit Utilities Arkansas and Oklahoma service territory. Daniel Essig manager of the branch, which is open 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CT Monday-Friday.

On April 26, Border States announced its 2021 Supplier of the Year awards, recognizing manufacturer partners “that provide exceptional service and continue to show dedication and support to Border States and its customers.”

The company’s Above and Beyond Service Excellence awards were given to:

• nVent Thermal – Industrial Market
• Acuity Brands – Construction Market
• Hubbell Power Systems – Utility Market
• Superior Essex – Communications Market
• Performance Pipe – Natural Gas Market

The company’s Sales and Marketing Excellence awards were given to:

• Milwaukee Tool – Industrial Market
• Klein Tools – Construction Market
• Rajant – Utility Market

The company’s Operational and Technological Excellence awards were given to:

• nVent Hoffman – Industrial Market
• Appleton – Construction Market
• Burndy – Utility Market

The company’s Area Supplier Sales Representative or Agency awards were given to:

• Midwest Area – AJB Sales
• Great Lakes Area – EMS Partners
• Kansas/Missouri Area Construction and Industrial – Eaton
• Kansas/Missouri Area Utility – Eaton Cooper Power
• Big Sky Area Construction and Industrial – MMR
• Big Sky Area Utility – Hubbell Power
• Northern Plains Area – AJB Sales
• Tennessee Area – Encore Wire
• Carolinas Area – OmniCable
• Rocky Mountain Area – Pinnacle Solutions
• Desert Area, New Mexico/El Paso – Eaton
• Desert Area, Arizona – Encore Wire