Distributor News: 9.20.2011

Springfield Electric Supply on the Path to Perfection

Ninety-six percent of Springfield Electric Supply's outside and inside sales associates are CEP (Certified Electrical Professional) certified.  Alan Koener, president of Koener Electric, a longtime customer of Springfield Electric, was impressed when he learned that Springfield's goal is to have 100% of its sales associates CEP certified. "I think the certification is just a recognition of the professionalism that was already here," Koener said.

Springfield Electric Supply was featured in the September issue of tED magazine. You can read more about the company and CEP in our digital edition and see more from inside Springfield Electric Supply in our photo gallery.

Above: From left: Inside Sales Associates Mike Crowe and Heath Stinebaker with Darren Schulze, branch manager

Crescent Plans 10 EV Charging Stations

"The EV charger, supplied by Leviton Manufacturing Company, will be used to train electrical contractors, business owners and municipal agencies on proper installation, operation and maintenance procedures," Joe McDermott, Crescent Electric's Chicago-area district manager noted in a company news release. "We are committed to supporting our local communities and their sustainability initiatives to reduce petroleum usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Supporting an EV infrastructure fits perfectly into those plans."

Above: Graphic from www.cesco.com

In the news release, Crescent Electric Supply gives details on the first of 10 planned installations of EV charging stations at its branches. Others slated to get EVSE installs are Bloomington/Normal, Ill.; San Diego, Portland, Ore.; Phoenix, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Indianapolis and Nashville, Tenn.

Rockdale is one of the company’s four branches in the Chicago area, 13 locations in Illinois and 120 nationwide. Bob Settle, Crescent’s vice president of marketing, noted that “other locations will follow” the initially targeted 10, as demand for EV charging stations dictates.

On Crescent’s EV marketing page, the company says that it carries EV charging equipment from Eaton, GE, Leviton and Schneider.

WESCO Buys in Canada

Brews Supply Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta, described as “a full-line distributor of industrial, utility, and commercial products” with annual sales of roughly $50 million, is being acquired by WESCO Distribution Inc. through its Canadian operations. No purchase price was disclosed.

Founded in 1927, the company has sales offices in the provinces of Alberta and Ontario and, according to this private company research piece, “sales representation in Grande Prairie, Central Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic, Canada.”

Brews lists association with A-D, Stone Eagle Electric Supply (“a majority-owned Aboriginal” distributor based in Fort McMurray) and “Hungry for Change.”

Stone Eagle is identified as a “division” of Brews. Dale Berstead, president and CEO at Brews since April 2008, lists on his LinkedIn profile a 14-month stint as president of Stone Eagle. Stone Eagle apparently specializes in supplying the oil and gas industry.

Graybar Notes

• Clayton contretemps: According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Graybar, as well as “neighborhood activists,” did not like the idea of a new 23-story hotel being built in Clayton, Mo., the company’s home town. According to the article, “…residents can rest easy. Graybar solved the problem this week by snapping up the foreclosed property from Uncle Sam.”
• In an interview with the newspaper, Matt Geekie, an SVP at Graybar as well as secretary and general counsel, said, "We like the atmosphere and look and feel of Clayton, which is why we moved here almost 30 years ago. We value it the way it is."
• The newspaper article indicated that Graybar is still considering what to do with the property. One possibility is the expansion of the nearby Seven Gales Inn from 32 rooms to as many as 90.
• IT innovation: for the ninth straight year, Graybar is on the Information Week 500, the magazine’s list of technology innovators. The company news release said it was named “due in part to its innovative use of a video-based help application and wiki technologies to support its implementation of SAP CRM.” Distributors HD Supply and WinWholeale also made the list. Epicor was named to the list as well.
• Solar training: The partnership Graybar has made with ONTILTY, a solar training company, apparently is working. The two companies announced their fourth collaborative week-long training event for Oct. 3-7 in San Antonio, Texas.  

ConneXion Demonstrates Clean Energy Solutions at Energy Expo: ConneXion, a platinum sponsor at the 2011 ComEd Energy Expo in the Chicago area, was on hand at the second annual event to demonstrate the company’s Renewegy wind turbine, a product they say was "the star of the show." The company says, “Renewegy’s state of the art, electronically controlled, wind turbines are designed specifically for the needs of businesses, farms, schools, universities, and municipalities.” A video demonstration of the turbine can be seen on the ConneXion’s YouTube page.

In a post on ConneXion’s Website, the company explains how they demonstrated their “Conserve-Control-Convert” energy philosophy at the expo:

“We forged relationships with top tier clean energy partners to support our 'Conserve - Control - Convert' energy philosophy and demonstrated their solutions in our booth and through our in-depth training presentations. Alfa Energy, responsible for over $200 million spent annually on energy, with more than 4,000 clients, demonstrated the savings available through their rate reduction programs. CePort provided the key component of our 'Control' message; they helped our visitors understand how their building automation program can help clients gain deeper insights into their energy use,  understand how people and processes relate to their buildings, in real time And deliver a higher level of service to employees and tenants.

Our clean energy, 'Convert' solution wouldn't be complete without a strong representation from the solar market; Denver based Solar Solutions, one of the largest PV equipment suppliers in the U.S., was on hand to explain the financial benefits and applications specific to the Chicago area. Solar Solutions carries all equipment necessary for large and small solar installations, including modules, inverters, racking, BOS, and accessories.”

Electrical/Datacom

Acworth GA “is looking to buy transformers, lighting fixtures, terminator boxes and other equipment from Stuart C. Irby, Georgia Underground, Gresco, HD Supply, Power Supply, Tri-State and WESCO.” The city council was asked to approve a $200,000 purchase, according to AcworthPatch.

Maricopa and Maybe Much More: Maricopa County, Ariz. is “the lead public agency” for the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance. Maricopa has awarded its MRO supplies contract to Applied Industrial Technologies, HD Supply, and The Home Depot. NLC is one of the sponsors of the purchasing cooperative.

Retail Watch

Hurricane aftermath in Connecticut causes higher generator sales for retailers: According to a report in The Day, two weeks after Hurricane Irene’s visit, retail stores contacted were seeing big generator sales.

Jeff Welcome, manager of New England Power Products, said, “People continue to buy [generators]. They’re not lining up out the door like they were last week, but they’re still interested…It’s definitely been the biggest reaction to a power issue that I’ve ever seen.”

Welcome claimed that his Groton store sold “quite a few hundred” generators in the storm’s aftermath.

Emerson Dexter, manager of the True Value Home Center in East Lyme said that generators have “never been a significant item before. But with the power out for so long, after a while people can’t take it. They can deal with two or three days, but after that it’s no fun.”

Lowe’s has “poor showing” in its fiscal Q2: According to Home Channel News, with revenues growing by only 1.3% and sales in stores open at least one year, Lowe’s was “essentially flat.” According to the magazine, Lowe’s is accelerating some changes it had planned and company execs claim that the year’s second half will see a different approach.        

“Lowe’s is calling its new strategy ‘integrating planning and execution’ (IPE), or putting the right product in the right store at the right quantity. A cornerstone to this process is catering to the needs of local markets. This is not a new concept in retailing—you don’t send snow blowers to Phoenix—but Lowe’s wants to peel back layers of previous merchandising habits to create an ‘institutional memory to maintain local assortment decisions when merchants change.’ More than 80% of the merchandising teams have product line reviews in process using IPE techniques, according to the company.”

The Home Depot Roundup: According Home Channel News, a company store in Chicago was cited by OSHA for safety violation, with proposed penalties of $55,000. Another Home Channel News article said the company has “sharpened its messaging on both sides” of its store credit cards. Last week, HCN reported that a Baird Capital Partners fund had acquired Harris Research Inc., The Home Depot’s franchise division. That acquisition included N-Hance wood cabinet and flooring renewal services, Chem-Dry carpet and upholstery cleaning.