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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
Business in the Coronavirus Era
By David Gordon
We’ve gone from looking at the coronavirus from afar to being in the middle of the coronavirus storm. It’s obviously changed the business and outlook for the year. While tragic, and disruptive, the phrase “this to shall pass” should be kept in mind.
Some thoughts regarding doing business in the coronavirus era:
1. Take care of your people. If they are concerned about family, they are less focused on business.
How Manufacturers Can Secure Supply Chains and Be Part of the Solution to the Coronavirus Crisis
By Dawn Werry
It’s no surprise that the coronavirus is impacting manufacturing, with production site shutdowns and travel and meeting restrictions. In fact, last month, IHS Markit estimated that manufacturing was the third most impacted industry, behind wholesale and services.
This has hit manufacturers in various ways. Some companies, even those whose primary products or components are manufactured in the hardest hit regions, have seen little or no impact on their ability to meet customer demand.
Changing Scene
LEDVANCE Announce Eastern Distribution Center Closure
LEDVANCE has announced the closure of their Eastern Distribution centre located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and move its operations to their Versailles, Kentucky facility. Matt McCarron, Vice President of US and Canada Salesreleased the following statement:
In order to better serve our customers, LEDVANCE continuously looks at maximizing our business processes. As part of that effort, we have recently reviewed our supply chain in order to find synergies that will better service our customers. Working with industry leading experts and distribution network is in the best interest of our customers, and our ability to maintain or improve our service levels.
Southwire Celebrates 70 Years
On March 23, 1950 Southwire was founded by Roy Richards Sr. Our organization, which would revolutionize the industry, started making wire and cable with just 12 employees and three machines.
Today, we celebrate 70 years of successful business, quality and service. From our humble beginnings, we have grown from 12 to approximately 7,500 employees and a footprint that has maintained its roots but grown into an internationally recognized organization with employees located in more than 40 cities in the United States and seven countries around the world.
Peers & Profiles
Ledvance Trade Marketing Manager, Omid Nadi Talks Innovation, Disruption and Marketing
Omid Nadi, Trade Marketing Manager with Ledvance, is a Ryerson University grad coming out of their Marketing management program.
“During my education I had a big interest in innovation, disruption, and data analytics,” he noted, which has influenced his career direction.
While he was in school, he spent four years in appliance sales, “that really gave me a foundation and an understanding of sales and communication.”
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