- You are here:
-
Home
- Looking Back
We often hear about how much the electrical industry is changing and how new and improved products and an ever broadening number of global manufacturers are disrupting how the wholesale market operates.
The best memory I keep from CEDA is the way that they accepted me when I came into the business. The welcome they gave to me, all of them men. (In those days there were not many women in business.) This welcome I will always remember. CEDA has played a very important role in my success.
In the 1930s to 1940s, CEDA’s Western Canada membership was very stable with old line independent companies like Horsman, Ashdowns, Brettell, Marshall Wells, Electrical Supplies Ltd., etc.
Read more: Recollections: Burt A. Robinson — Honourary Life...
Prior to the late 1950s there was little if any involvement in CEDA by the so-called “national suppliers.” They felt that the organization was more an association of local and provincial independently owned suppliers.
Read more: Recollections: J.E. Milburn, Honourary CEDA Life...
As 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation, we take a look back at an aspect of the history of wholesale sales in Canada.
The resource-based industries of the Maritimes are looking to electronics to make their operations more productive. This trend, in concert with the tremendous amount of work offshore oil development will provide, suggests a glowing future for distributors in the region. Kip Roberts, President of Harris and Roome Ltd., Halifax, points out that several industries are modernizing and much of their new equipment will be purchased from electrical distributors.
Electrical distributors must remain in both the electronic and electrical ends of the business to be successful, said Bryan Smith, President of Electrozad Supply Co., Windsor, from 1977 to 1982. “The electronics is the brains end of things. The electrical side is very important too.” Among areas where electronics have made a strong impact were programmable controllers, cable and instrumentation, which have gone completely electronic.
Read more: Electrical and Electronic Wholesaling in Ontario...
The public’s strong interest in energy-saving products should continue in the coming years, providing a boom for electrical distributors, forecasted Lew Searle of Amesco Ltd., Winnipeg. These products included lamps, ballasts, electrical furnaces (especially in new homes), and central air conditioning. He said the demand for air conditioners had increased sharply, indicating to him that air conditioning is no longer the preserve of the affluent. Upgrading gas furnaces was providing distributors with dividends as well, Mr. Searle said, noting that new panels, circuit breakers and other equipment were required.
Even in a principally agricultural province like Saskatchewan, the impact of electronics on the electrical distribution industry will be “very Big”, forecasts Ward Johnson, president of Ward Johnson Electric Ltd, Regina.
Electrical distribution companies operating in British Columbia will continue to get larger while most smaller independents will gradually disappear, predicted Art Reid, manager, B.C. District, Wesco Westinghouse Sales & Distribution Co. of Burnaby.
Latest Articles
New ISA Book Introduces an Inexpensive, Easy-to-Understand way to Protect Against Industrial Cyberattack
With their advanced, microprocessor-based technologies, today's industrial automation and control systems (IACS) deliver much-improved performance and features compared to their analog counterparts.
Unfortunately, these newer, networked systems-with their ability to be configured remotely-are more vulnerable to cyberattack.
Security PHA Review for Consequence-Based Cybersecurity, a new book published by the International Society of Automation (ISA), introduces an easy-to-follow, cost-effective methodology for safeguarding critical infrastructure and process industry facilities from cyberwarfare and other forms of cyber-risks.
Six Secrets of Powerful Proposals
By Jeff Mowatt
One of the biggest frustrations I hear from my clients is the amount of time and effort it takes for them to put together proposals, particularly those that don’t end up winning the business. Unfortunately, the standard approach to making client proposals usually involves describing your products or services, including some corporate background, adding a few references, and finishing with pricing information.
This is the last approach you want to take. It practically guarantees you’ll miss the mark. And worse, preparing and delivering these kinds of proposals soaks up significant time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere.
eCommerce in the Channel
By David Gordon
During recent calls with distributors to get the pulse of the industry, one area we touched on is eCommerce and specifically the activity that they are seeing from their customers, the investments that they are making, and how it is impacting their overall business. A few trends emerged.
Changing Scene
Dave Welsh joins Arlington as Business Development Manager
Arlington Industries has announced the appointment of Dave Welsh to the newly created position of Business Development Manager.
In his new role Welsh will call on key contractors, projects and job sites to review installation issues and determine potential solutions as the basis for new product ideas by Arlington’s product development team.
Mr. Welsh is a Master Electrician. He was the Chief Electrical Inspector for four areas in Michigan. At the same time, he was the Program Coordinator and Instructor for the Electrical Technology.
ABB eFinder Online Portal Locates Distributor Stock of ABB Installation Products
The ABB eFinder portal simplifies the process of locating inventory from ABB’s selection of products used for connection and transmission of electrical power. Customers may now search online for ABB Installation Products and can purchase them from the distributor who has the products in stock. Once the product is located, the customer may buy it from the distributor by connecting directly to the distributor’s e-commerce page and placing the products in an online shopping cart for the final purchase transaction.
OmniCable Enters into an Agreement to be Acquired by Dot Family Holdings
Omni Cable Corporation, headquartered in West Chester, PA, hs announced that it has signed an agreement to be acquired by a subsidiary of Dot Holdings Co (DHC), which is owned by Dot Family Holdings (DFH), and join its portfolio of companies.
DFH is focused exclusively on acquiring leading middle-market distribution companies with a special interest in master/two-step distribution and any national distribution models. DFH’s approach to acquiring and holding companies for the long term and investing for growth made them an ideal partner for OmniCable.
Peers & Profiles
Company Snapshot: House of Electrical Supplies Limited
House of Electrical Supplies is a distribution company that specializes in ‘service’. They go beyond what a standard supplier provides, not just with knowledgeable employees, but with a compliment of support services.
From small construction to sophisticated industrial projects, House of Electrical stocks electrical supplies for a wide range of applications. For over 30 years, they have been servicing clients in the industrial, OEM, entertainment and construction markets across the greater metropolitan Toronto area. Their product solutions range from electrical, automation, safety, lighting and portable power distribution.
Copper $US Dollar price per pound
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://www.kitconet.com/charts/metals/base/copper-d.gif)
|
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://www.kitconet.com/charts/metals/base/spot-copper-60d.gif)
|
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://www.kitconet.com/charts/metals/base/spot-copper-6m.gif)
|
