2021 represented the best of times and the worst of times. Companies reported record sales, record sales growth, many had record profits and backlogs grew. And then there were supply chain issues, labor shortages, rising costs of goods and the persistence of COVID.
We know, like most other distributors, that Sonepar USA had a “good” 2021. At least enough to enable it to carry out any planned acquisitions but, perhaps the recent news that it sold Vallen is a hint that they are doubling down to do more?
Recently, the Government of Ontario announced that it is investing more than $13 million dollars spread out over nine projects with a focus on apprentices and journeypersons in the electrical industry to achieve the skills they need and to assist employers in finding the skilled trade workers they need to grow their businesses.
Read more: The National Electrical Trade Council to Receive...
What is the Lumen Exhibition? It is Quebec's largest electrical industry exhibition with a surface area of 50,000 sq ft and with more than 175 exhibiting suppliers. This unique and innovative event offers the opportunity to discover the products and innovations of the industry as well as the possibility of exchanging with our supplier specialists.
Given the rapidly evolving economic situation, Statistics Canada is providing an advance estimate of sales in the wholesale trade sector for January. The advance results for January indicate that wholesale sales rose 3.9%. The increase reflects higher sales in the building material and supplies, and machinery equipment and supplies subsectors.
Manufacturing sales rose for the fourth consecutive month, up 0.6% to $64.8 billion in January on higher sales in 14 of 21 industries, led by the petroleum and coal (+6.8%) and wood (+6.5%) product industries. The gain was partially offset by lower sales of motor vehicles (-17.5%).
International Women's Day is a globally-recognized celebration of the critical social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. In Canada, women entrepreneurs play a vital role in our country’s economy yet continue to face barriers to success.
The sale of counterfeit goods is a multi-billion dollar industry that can have negative impacts on consumers and fuel criminal organizations. In 2020, U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized over 26,000 counterfeit goods shipments.
Read more: How $1.3 Billion Of Counterfeit Goods Are Seized...
Robert S. Muller, former director for the FBI once said, “there are two types of companies – those that have been hacked and those who will be hacked.”
Mersen Canada is honored to receive the 2021 Ontario Supplier of the Year Award from distribution partner Franklin Empire. This award recognizes the excellent support provided by Mersen in 2021.
In-House or Managed EDI: How to Determine the Right Fit for Your Business
Electronic data interchange (EDI) is the most commonly used B2B eCommerce technology. Based on standards, this computer-to-computer exchange of business documents between trading partners increases efficiency while cutting costs by simplifying processes across the entire supply chain.
More documents are shared and processed in less time with greater accuracy, accelerating business cycles by up to 61% and reducing the number of transactions with errors by 30–40%.
For more information Go Here.
Accreditation Helps Us Walk the Talk on Our Way to a More Sustainable Future
Climate change poses very real risks to people and the environment. Extreme weather events like the destructive storm we just saw in Ottawa that left thousands without electricity for days, and damaged homes and critical infrastructure, are a stark reminder that we must take action, now.
Countries around the world agree – achieving a more sustainable future is a top priority. Commitments like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the landmark Paris Agreement and the ISO London Declaration, bring nations into a common cause to undertake the ambitious efforts it takes to tackle one of our time’s most critical challenges.
Selling Services … Diversifying Revenues & Adding Value
By David Gordon, President, Channel Marketing Group
As every distributor knows, there is a labor and driver crisis in every market. It affects hiring warehouse staff as well as drivers. Today’s competition for labor is further exacerbated by competitive environments that can pay $20 / hour plus benefits (aka Amazon and others.) Further, within the electrical industry, many electrical contractors are faced with their own staffing challenges.
Industries have talked about fee-based services and many industry leaders are seizing upon the opportunity to diversify their income stream, improve profitability AND add a valuable service to their customers.
Can EPLAN Be Used as an Alternative to Your PDM?
Why Use Elements Collaboration
Elements Collaboration represents a new alternative to conventional Project Data Management softwares. It is is a low cost and effective alternative to your dedicated PDM. Here's why:
EPLAN is built from the ground up with features you value in a Project Data Management software. As such, it is faster and can be better integrated to your workflow. This means that you can potentially save on the cost of an additional software without sacrificing productivity.
Bird Construction Inc. Announces Progressive Design-Build Contract For Net-Zero Plant Protein Processing Facility In Alberta
Recently, Bird Construction Inc. was pleased to announce that it has been selected to lead the design and construction of a state-of-the-art, net-zero plant protein processing facility for Phyto Organix Foods Inc. in Strathmore, Alberta. The value of the progressive design-build contract is approximately $125 million.
Bird will lead the design and construction of the facility and the 3D connectivity to the processing equipment. The 100,000 square foot facility will be the first net-zero plant protein processing facility in North America, employing industry-leading technology solutions to recycle and reuse water, leverage low emission energy sources, and reduce overall energy consumption.
Real gross domestic product rose 1.1% in February, the largest monthly growth rate since March 2021. Inflationary pressure remained in April 2022, when the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 6.8% year over year, a slight increase from March 2022 (+6.7%).
After surging by nearly 340,000 in February, employment rose by an additional 73,000 in March as Omicron-related restrictions eased, and was little changed in April. After reaching a record low of 5.3% in March, the unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to 5.2% in April.
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Changing Scene
AD and Torbsa Limited are announcing an agreement to merge the two groups. The merger is expected to close July 1, 2022. Established in Ontario in 1966, Torbsa is a shareholder-owned group made up of twenty-seven independent building supplies distributors, with 48 locations across Canada.
Rob Dewar, president of AD Canada, discussed how Torbsa's strong leadership and financial success made the buying group an ideal match for AD. Rob Dewar, president of AD Canada, discussed how Torbsa's strong leadership and financial success made the buying group an ideal match for AD.
Electrical Industry Announces Advisory Council for Harmonized Data Model (HDM)
The Industry Data Exchange Association, Inc. (IDEA), in collaboration with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), announces the launch of the Harmonized Data Model (HDM) Advisory Council.
The Harmonized Data Model (HDM) initiative is defining a unified data model in IDEA Connector that enables manufacturers to easily syndicate to multiple formats and empowers distributors’ eCommerce experiences with more consistent, normalized product data.
AimLite Approved by the National Lighting Bureau’s Trusted Warranty Evaluation Program
AimLite is proud to announce that its Products Warranty has been awarded certification by the National Lighting Bureau’s (NLB) Trusted Warranty Program. The NLB Trusted Warranty Program recognizes excellence in lighting companies that meet objective quality standards and practices regarding their warranty administration.
In order to obtain that certification, AimLite was assessed based on five criteria: formal warranty process, warranty language, length of business/warranty insurance, technical evaluation, and claims review evaluation. By complying with the five evaluation criteria, AimLite clearly demonstrates its commitment to providing quality products and services to its customers.
Franklin Empire Announces New Headquarters by Montoni to Support its Growth
Franklin Empire Inc., the largest independently owned electrical distributor in Canada, and MONTONI are excited to launch the construction of the company’s new headquarters designed to support future growth. This family-owned 4th generation company is also celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. In summer 2023, Franklin Empire employees will move into their new facility of nearly 190,000-square-feet, conveniently located along Autoroute 40 at the junction of Autoroute 13 in Saint-Laurent and close to the Ericsson and VSL campuses developed by MONTONI. The building, which will be targeting a LEED certification, will triple the firm’s warehouse space and double its office area, while improving the customer experience and providing employees with a work environment adapted to the new reality of today’s job market.
S&C Electric Company Announces New Canadian Business President
S&C Electric Company recently announced Anders Hultberg as its new president of S&C Electric Canada Ltd. Hultberg will assume his new role as the existing president, Angelo Gravina, transitions into retirement.
Hultberg’s vast industry experience includes developing and executing strategies and aligning complex operations to achieve sustainable business growth. Before joining S&C, Hultberg was the senior vice president and managing director of the high-voltage business for North America at Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Power Grids). Hultberg’s 27-year career with ABB provided him with a variety of operational experience in production, operation, marketing, sales, and R&D. He also held numerous ABB leadership roles across the world, including the past nine years in Canada.
Peers & Profiles
IDEA Announces 2022 Board Of Directors, Stern Named Chair
The Industry Data Exchange Association, Inc. (IDEA), the electrical industry-endorsed technology service provider and eBusiness standards body, announces its 2022 Board of Directors. Larry Stern, President of Standard Electric Supply, is the IDEA Board Chair for the coming year.
“Larry’s experience and strong leadership are a driving force to tackle industry challenges and pursue IDEA’s roadmap. Today, with the increasing complexity and the increasing volume of data that needs to be exchanged, IDEA is focused on our mission to facilitate the exchange of complete, high-quality transactional and eCommerce product content and serve as the standards body for the electrical industry.” said David Oldfather, President and CEO of IDEA.