EXHIBIT 99.1


[logo]  NEWS RELEASE
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        WESCO International, Inc. / Suite 700, 225 West Station Square Drive /
        Pittsburgh, PA  15219

         WESCO INTERNATIONAL, INC. ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF THE NET EQUITY
        VALUE OF STOCK OPTIONS FOR 2.9 MILLION SHARES OF ITS COMMON STOCK


              Contact: Stephen A. Van Oss, Chief Financial Officer
          WESCO International, Inc. (412) 454-2271, Fax: (412) 454-2477
                            http://www.wescodist.com

Pittsburgh, PA, January 6, 2004 - WESCO International, Inc. [NYSE:WCC], a
leading provider of electrical MRO products, construction materials, and
advanced integrated supply procurement outsourcing services, today announced
that it has redeemed, in a privately negotiated transaction with 19 employees,
the net equity value of stock options originally granted in 1994 and 1995,
representing approximately 2.9 million shares or approximately 7% of its Common
Stock outstanding.

James A. Stern, Chairman of the Compensation Committee of the Board of
Directors, commented, "This accretive transaction, at a discount to current
market, was preceded by the repurchase of 4.3 million shares of Common Stock in
late November from an institutional holder. Additionally, we are pleased to be
able to provide a liquidity event for long-term management personnel while
protecting all shareholders from undue open market pressure on the Company's
stock."

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WESCO International, Inc. [NYSE: WCC] is a publicly traded Fortune 500 holding
company, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose primary operating
entity is WESCO Distribution, Inc. WESCO Distribution is a leading distributor
of electrical construction products and electrical and industrial maintenance,
repair and operating (MRO) supplies, and is the nation's largest provider of
integrated supply services with 2002 annual product sales of approximately $3.3
billion. The Company employs approximately 5,400 people, maintains relationships
with 24,000 suppliers, and serves more than 100,000 customers worldwide. Major
markets include commercial and industrial firms, contractors, government
agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications businesses and utilities.
WESCO operates five fully automated distribution centers and 350 full-service
branches in North America and selected international markets, providing a local
presence for area customers and a global network to serve multi-location
businesses and multi-national corporations.

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The matters discussed herein may contain forward-looking statements that are
subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from expectations. Certain of these risks are set forth in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2002, as well as the Company's other reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. WESCO's Internet address is: http://www.wescodist.com.