Erik Gershwind has worked at MSC Industrial Supply Co. for more than 25 years but often says he really joined the company at birth.
That’s because his grandfather, Sid Jacobson, founded the business in 1941 when he started selling surplus tools out of the trunk of his car.
After Gershwind graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and from Harvard Law School, he joined the Melville-based industrial supply distribution business full-time.
He gained experience working across key departments, including mergers and acquisitions, sales, product management, marketing and e-commerce. Those roles proved to be Gershwind’s best learning experiences, as did having lunch with his grandfather every day.
“I valued having lunch with my grandfather because he taught me a great deal about MSC and so much more in terms of life lessons. When Sid started the business, he wanted to support his young family, of course. But he had a greater vision and purpose in mind and that was to help others, Gershwind said.
“Sid also believed that you couldn’t stand still. To be able to help others, you need to sustain and grow the business by never being satisfied and by driving continuous improvement and innovation.”
Sid Jacobson, for example, invested $1 million in a computer system in the 1960s, a risky, significant investment that ultimately paved the way for future growth and success.
MSC has remained at the forefront of its industry with strategic moves that lifted the business to new heights, such as its Big Book catalog, a nationwide network of branch offices, a dedicated sales force, next-day delivery and an e-commerce site during the early stages of the internet.
Two generations followed Sid Jacobson in driving the company’s success. Jacobson’s son, Mitchell, was named president in 1982 and continues to serve as chairman of the board of the publicly traded company.
Gershwind rose to the role of chief operating officer in 2009, President in 2011 and chief executive officer in 2013, just the fourth person to hold that position in 82 years.
As CEO, Gershwind has led MSC’s transformation from a spot-buy supplier of industrial products to a productivity partner helping manufacturers reduce costs and improve their efficiency and overall performance.
MSC sells more than 2.2 million products and delivers many inventory management and supply chain solutions to hundreds of thousands of customers throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Most importantly, MSC’s 7,000 associates continue to carry out Sid’s vision of helping others.
“Today, we reflect our purpose of helping others through our brand promise: Built To Make You Better. We’re seeing excellent results and our customers tell us they appreciate the value we deliver in helping them solve their mission-critical challenges and improve their operations every day,” Gershwind said.
Under Gershwind’s leadership, MSC’s investments in people, technology, acquisitions and regional expansion across North America have resulted in revenue growth of more than 50 percent to $3.7 billion.
MSC is ranked No. 790 on the Fortune 1000 list. MSC has been named a top place to work by a number of prominent publications, including Forbes and Computerworld magazines.
Gershwind serves as chair of the board of advisors for the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Sid Jacobson JCC in East Hills and the Riverside Hawks Youth Basketball, a nationally recognized academic and athletic program.
He serves as co-chair of Major Gifts for the Long Island chapter of the UJA Federation of New York. Gershwind and his wife, Jackie, serve on the Board of Advisors for Cohen Children’s Medical Center, part of the Northwell Health System.
Erik and Jackie Gershwind reside in Old Westbury with their three children.
