EXHIBIT 99.1


[WESCO DISTRIBUTION LOGO]   NEWS RELEASE
                            ----------------------------------------------------
                            [WESCO DISTRIBUTION LETTERHEAD]


                       WESCO INTERNATIONAL, INC. ANNOUNCES
               PURCHASE OF 4.3 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, November 20, 2003 - 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 purchased, at a discount from market, approximately 4.3 million of
its outstanding Class B Nonvoting Convertible Common Stock, $0.01 par value,
representing 9.5% of its Common Stock outstanding in a single privately
negotiated transaction.

Stephen A. Van Oss, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, stated, "Over
the past eighteen months, we have made significant improvements in our capital
structure and operational performance and this has positioned the Company to
take advantage of an attractive share repurchase opportunity and to consummate
this highly accretive transaction for the benefit of our shareholders."

Roy W. Haley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our management
team and our Board are committed to performance improvement and enhanced
shareholder value. This transaction demonstrates the Board's confidence in the
Company's financial position, current performance and future prospects."

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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.