Guiding innovation forward, bridging the gap between what’s possible and the practical.

Our History

Arnold E. Petsche founded the company in 1966 in response to the aerospace industry’s need for streamlined production and distribution of high performance wire and cable. In the beginning, Petsche ran the business as a one-man operation spooling wire out of his garage with a single employee for clerical support.

Petsche’s educational and business background prepared him well for running his own business. He graduated from college with a degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio University. After his degree, Petsche went on to receive electrical and avionics systems training in the Air Force where he later became a First Lieutenant. He then held various positions in the aircraft industry, including at a wire and cable manufacturer, where he recognized the need for a distributor that would provide solutions and services across multiple wire types.

As the business grew, Petsche purchased a building, hired people to work in the warehouse and opened branch offices. Following his passion for higher education, Petsche attended Harvard Business School, completing the program in 1980. Arnold and his team set out to expand off of the company’s wire and cable strength and become an all encompassing interconnect supplier for the aerospace and defense industry. In addition to high performance wire and cable, the company began supplying shrinkable tubing, termination devices and wire identification systems.

Arnold Petsche became the Chairman of the Board in 2001. A.E. Petsche Company later expanded internationally and expanded the product portfolio of the company to include aerospace connectors. In 2009, Arrow Electronics acquired the A.E. Petsche Company. The foundation of strength and innovation built by Arnold Petsche and his successors lives on in the culture of what Arrow and A.E. Petsche Company represent today — we are constantly looking to innovate for our customers and are thinking "Five Years Out."