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We move what matters, from parts to entire projects

From a local electrical supplier to a national infrastructure partner, we have delivered critical solutions across four generations of industrial evolution, powering progress through relationships that endure.

This is infrastructure, supply, and service, all working as one.

We simplify complexity, with a proven track record of getting the job done for electrical contractors and enterprise teams who need results fast, right, and without friction.

Whether you’re outfitting a facility, modernizing a grid, or managing materials across multiple sites, we bring the parts, the people, and the precision to keep it all moving.

What started in 1923 as a trusted local electrical supply house has grown into a global partner.

Historic Turtle and Hughes electrical supplies shopfront

We’ve powered through blackouts, rebuilds, and revolutions in tech, evolving with every shift, to be the partner contractors could count on. Every job, every time. 

Pair in safety attire review laptop in warehouse

Today, we move faster, build smarter, and solve bigger, with the people, products, and precision that keep projects moving.

A warehouse employee with work scanner gun.

Each milestone reflects our ability to anticipate industry shifts before they happen and our courage to lead change rather than follow it.

Handshake of construction workers wearing safety vests with backdrop of building and infrastructure

We supply.We support.We deliver outcomes.

  • Legacy Timeline
Journey

Take a look through our journey, so far

1920s
Marion (M.B.) Turtle and Bill Hughes founding electrical supplies company
At 101 Varick Street, Marion (M.B.) Turtle and Bill Hughes start an electrical supplies company using start-up capital provided by M.B.'s wife, Ethel Macnamara Turtle.
  • Turtle & Hughes opens its first office with one small truck providing electrical supplies to small businesses and commercial accounts in the financial district south of Canal Street
  • With a focus on its people, it starts a tradition of employee holiday recognition and service awards that continue to this day
1930s
Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
The Great Depression takes its toll on industries in the U.S. and across the globe, yet the business flourishes.
  • A second location opens in Elizabeth, NJ
  • Bill Hughes tragically dies in a car accident leaving the firm in the hands of M.B. and Ethel Macnamara Turtle
  • Standard Oil (later Exxon) becomes a key customer
  • Turtle supplies product to the construction of Rockefeller Center in NYC and provides the lights for the very first tree as it still does today
1940s
Photo of Ethel Macnamara Turtle
World War II is changing the shape of the world and U.S. industries.
  • After the death of her husband, Ethel Macnamara Turtle becomes the first of three generations of women to lead the company
  • Turtle becomes a key supplier to the U.S. government and military supporting the war efforts
  • Its largest customers include Grumman Aircraft, Bethlehem Steel, DuPont, Lever Bros, and Procter & Gamble
1950s
Historic Turtle & Hughes shopfront
The world continues recovering from WWII. Industries change and adapt to the new economic realities and possibilities.
  • Under Ethel Mcnamara Turtle's steady hand, PR Electronics launches as its first entry into Industrial Automation; it operates until 1980
  • The specialty department designs and assembles customized automation equipment to meet customer needs
  • Its biggest seller is a relay control panel to customers including The New York Times, Rockefeller Center, American Cyanamid, and Procter & Gamble
1960s
1960's Historic office photo 
Economic expansion continues, American industries are booming and an ever-increasing number of women leaders emerge.
  • Suzanne Turtle Millard, Ethel Macnamara Turtle's granddaughter, and her husband, Frank Millard, take the reins amid financial challenges and an aging staff
  • Frank drives growth via an entrepreneurial environment; Sue brings a people-focused compassion that drives the culture today
1970s
Historic office workspace photo
The Third Industrial Revolution begins to drive automation in factories introducing intelligent machines, making the industry faster and more efficient.
  • As President, Frank Millard moves the company headquarters to 1900 Lower Road, Linden, NJ
  • Turtle expands out of the New York Metro area to Houston, TX, servicing the petrochemical market which remains an integral part of Turtle
  • In their first ten years, the Millards grow sales by 350% with 60 employees
1980s
Historic photo of Turtle Company's first computer
Amid economic turbulence, the rise of computers changes how industries operate.
  • The first in-house computer from Datapoint arrives in Linden with 48KB of memory
  • Sue Turtle Millard is installed as CEO; the company qualifies as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE)
  • The Millards' daughter, Jayne Millard, joins the Board of Directors
  • Turtle reinvents itself as a powerful player in the domestic electrical contractor construction market and begins its acquisition of four Rockwell Automation distributors in New Jersey; by the end of the decade, sales grow by another 200%
1990s
Turtle Talk company internal newsletter
The scale and adoption of the emerging internet drives a new way to live, work, and operate. Companies begin taking approaches proven on the factory floor and applying them through the rest of their organization.
  • Turtle ranks in the top 25 electrical wholesalers in the U.S. with 250 employees in 6 locations
  • It acquires Stilliter/Klebes marking its entry into industrial supply and paving the way for Turtle & Hughes Integrated Supply (THIS)
  • An internal newsletter, Turtle Talk, now connects a growing and diverse workforce; Turtle.com website launches
2000s
New York City Twin Towers before 9/11
New business models begin to emerge and September 11, 2001, permanently changes the world.
  • Turtle plays a key role in rebuilding Lower Manhattan to honor the victims and first responders of 9/11
  • It provides switchgear and emergency back-up power systems to World Trade Tower One, Tower Four, and the World Trade Center Transportation HUB; the project takes more than a decade to complete
  • After close to two decades of full-time service to Turtle, Jayne Millard rises to President and 4th generation of family leadership
  • Certified as a member of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
2010s
Jayne Millard with co-workers
The digital economy is in full swing and Turtle is hard at work driving an impact.
  • A digital transformation now includes an ecommerce platform on www.turtle.com
  • Acquisitions in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles and new branches in Philadelphia and Louisiana spur geographic growth
  • New specialty departments expand on Turtle's technical solutions with a focus on sustainability — energy retrofits, solar and wind, and energy storage; TSI Services responds to customer's complex industrial infrastructure challenges
  • Jayne Millard is named CEO and later Chairman of the Board with over 800 employees in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico and double-digit growth on the heels of an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in New Jersey Award
2020s
Woman in safety vest and hard hat using a tablet
Pandemic impacts and trends drive technological innovation, change supply chain strategies and revolutionize the customer experience.
  • Covid-19 changes the workplace and how Turtle services customers; contributions to critical projects include constructing field hospitals, the company donates much-needed PPE to first responders, and creates new ways for employees to connect remotely
  • Turtle publishes its first ESG Report showing a commitment to the environment, people, and community
  • It enters the EV Charging market and becomes a major player in improving the nation's infrastructure and making the grid smarter
  • Jayne Millard is inducted into the WBE Hall of Fame
  • Engagement Principles

How we work with our customers

We believe transformation takes a collective effort. That’s why we work shoulder-to-shoulder with like-minded partners to serve our industry with purpose and unity. 

We build better by thinking differently. Diversity of perspective is not a program, it’s how we lead, solve, and grow. It’s who we are. 

We prioritize people and long-term progress, fostering strong partnerships and responsible practices that move industries forward and communities with them. 

Why
Turtle?

From automation and energy systems to cybersecurity and supply chain management, we solve complex infrastructure challenges from concept through deployment with field-proven expertise. Our approach addresses the interconnected nature of modern infrastructure, where systems must integrate seamlessly while maintaining security and operational continuity.
Our strategic partnerships with leading manufacturers are a direct value-add for our customers, ensuring dependable access to essential components, fast-tracked technical expertise, and early exposure to innovative technologies.
This is what it means to partner with Turtle: real people, proven systems, and outcomes you can count on. Let’s build what’s next, together.