About us

Lawrence & Hanson is Australia’s most recognised electrical wholesaler, delivering Value, Reliability and Flexibility through a true omnichannel experience.

With a national network of over 150 branches, knowledgeable local teams, and a complete digital solution that enables customers to shop anywhere, anytime.

Since 1886, we’ve supported customers across all key sectors, Residential, Commercial, HVAC, Renewables, Data Communications, Utility and Industrial. Lawrence & Hanson is truly a one-stop shop. Why would you shop anywhere else?

Our Network

A national branch network and knowledgeable, professional staff who understand local needs

Supply Chain

A supply chain powered by our Regional Fulfilment Centre’s (RFC’s), delivering outstanding range & availability

Digital Solutions

Online and digital solutions that enable customers to shop anywhere, anytime.

Mr Lawrence, meet Mr Hanson

In 1885, Alfred Lawrence, a young and ambitious clerk, became the Australian representative for the British General Electric Company and was soon to found the electrical company which would bear his name for a century and more. Sent to Melbourne soon after joining, he spent his early days walking the streets, taking orders and telegraphing them back to London—work that proved too limiting for his ambitions.

By 1886, Lawrence had moved to Sydney and opened Alfred Lawrence, Electrical Merchants, Engineers & Importers in Wynyard Street. Demand was immediate and overwhelming; lighting goods were carried straight from the wharves through the back door and out the front by eager customers.

In 1889, a mutual friend, Arthur Cox, introduced Lawrence to Arthur “Jerry” Hanson. Both quickly recognised the value of joining forces: Lawrence was overloaded with work and short on capital, while Hanson brought energy, accounting skill, and sharp business sense. Their partnership formed The Lawrence & Hanson Electrical Company, marking the first time the name appeared on the Wynyard Street shingle.

Sonepar Group

Sonepar 2025 Key Figures

About Sonepar

Sonepar is an independent family-owned company standing as the world leader in B2B distribution of electrical equipment, solutions, and services. In 2025, Sonepar achieved sales of €33.6 billion. Present in 40 countries with a dense network of brands, the Group is leading an ambitious transformation to make its customers’ lives easier providing them an omnichannel experience and sustainable solutions in the building, industry, and energy markets. Sonepar’s 46,000 associates are committed to accelerating the world’s electrification and driven by a shared Purpose: Powering Progress for Future Generations.

www.sonepar.com

CODE OF CONDUCT

Sonepar is publicly releasing its worldwide Code of Conduct, in keeping with current practice within the Group.

Marie-Christine Coisne-Roquette, Chairman, said: “Integrity has always been a key value and a compelling behavior at Sonepar. Today, in a world where compliance becomes increasingly essential, the Group is launching a substantial pro compliance and anti-corruption program, both to impress upon everyone the importance of combatting those evils and to help everyone avoid, detect and stop any non-compliant action.”

Philippe Delpech, CEO, added: “Compliance is a challenge for everyone at Sonepar, every day and in everything we do. To help everybody understand Sonepar’s expectations, we are issuing our Code of Conduct, which supplements all existing policies and instructions applicable in the Group. We want all our stakeholders—associates, customers, suppliers and third parties—to know and understand Sonepar’s compliance objectives and focus. Our mission is to communicate continuously, making sure our associates feel comfortable about reporting any event they believe is not in line with our Code of Conduct.”

Sonepar encourages every natural person, whether employed by a Group company or not, to report, selflessly and in good faith, any serious and obvious breach of law or regulation, or any threat or severe harm to the business integrity, such as acts of corruption or influence peddling, and any behavior or situation that violates the Group’s code of conduct, which the individual personally gained knowledge of.

Sonepar is, therefore, launching its Sonepar Whistleblower Procedure ensuring the whistleblower’s identity, the information provided and the identity of the person(s) involved in the reported facts remain confidential. The procedure, inclusive of a secured channel, makes it possible to communicate documents in support of the alert. The channel is outsourced, whereas assessment and monitoring of the alert are not.

Click here to access the whistleblowing tool:

For concerns created prior to December 16 2021
www.sonepar.com/alert

For concerns created after December 16 2021
Whistle Blowing Platform

Whistleblower Procedure

Code of Conduct

Business Partners Code Of Conduct

Conflict Minerals Policy