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CEW 24 CS ABB 400 Hitachi has a deal with industrial giant ABB to purchase 80% of their Power Grids division for $6.4bn. The move marks a transition for Hitachi, which will look to expand its energy solutions offerings by combining ABB’s power grids business with their digital technology division.

Contrary to popular belief, hiring students into companies today isn’t a charitable act. It’s a mutually beneficial one for students and the organizations they work for.

The last couple of years have seen a plethora of lighting innovations in a quest to “control” the ceiling and eventually a building, a network of buildings and then cities. This is the vision of smart cities… interconnected devices that enable “control” of various electrical and mechanical systems.

I can still remember August 5, 2014 like it was yesterday. This date marks my first day as a full-time employee in the electrical distribution industry, and even though I didn’t know at the time, it would mark the first day of my growing professional career.

I was recently at a high level discussion listening to several tradeswomen speak about their experiences working in a field dominated largely by men (5% of the trades workforce is made up of women in Canada).

When it comes to automation and its associated fields debate certainly remains as to its future direction, as well as the subsequent affects it will have on the workforce. However, there is consensus that education and cross-sector co-operation will be key factors to maximize that innovative potential.

Two major things have happened to Canada recently, which I can’t help thinking are indications of our lack of preparedness for what is happening in the world around us. There is some evidence of a plan, but we as Canadians have never really had a good discussion about the impacts.

Employment Gains Employment rose nationally by 94,000 in November, driven by gains in full-time work. The unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points to 5.6%, the lowest since comparable data became available in 1976.

Building Permits Canadian municipalities issued $8.1 billion worth of building permits in October, edging down 0.2% from September. The decrease was mainly attributable to lower construction intentions for industrial and institutional buildings.

In setting growth plans for the coming year, one should ask, “What percentage of my customers might go away?” Some will go out of business and they stop buying.

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What’s Hindering Your Marketing Department and Inhibiting Your Growth?

Olson By Katrina Olson

A recent CEW article by David Gordon caught my eye. The headline was, Are Your Sales and Marketing Teams Inhibiting Growth?

As a marketing consultant, writer, and trainer, I recognized the challenges and barriers that David was writing about. We agree on many issues (and their causes) facing electrical distributors and marketers. But I also hear from marketing people all the time that the C-Suite is hindering their efforts which, in turn, hinders the company’s growth.

Canadian AD Members and Suppliers Recognized at 2018 Electrical North American Meeting

On October 29-31, 2018, the AD Electrical North American Meeting drew over 1,000 attendees. This event attracted 151 first time attendees and representatives from over 362 companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Attendees benefited from a variety of agenda topics, including: Network Meetings, Emerging Leaders Session, and Country-specific Business Meetings. New to this year’s agenda was a SPA Optimization Workshop led by industry veteran Mo Barsema. In addition, members and suppliers also attended a panel discussion on managing and measuring your digital success.

Hammond Power Solutions Announces Plant Closure ...

Hammond Power Solutions Inc. has announced its intention to discontinue and close its ...

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