TED Magazine - March 2023-A : simplebooklet.com

tEDthe ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTORBE INQUISITIVE, NOT JUDG- mental” is a quote I heard on the hit Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso. Ted said it as he was throwing darts in a game against his team owner’s archenemy. It con-tained a lot of the wisdom I was lucky enough to have instilled in me as I grew Wiseway Supply. Many of you were part of it. To be clear, it is not about intelligence, but inquisitiveness. I was willing to ask for the opinions and guidance of those who I wanted to emulate. There is no sense in paying for my own mistakes when I could learn from others. I have known people who were not willing to ask others for their guid-ance. I never really understood that and usually attributed it to a lack of confidence or fear of looking stupid. My desire for success outweighed my not irrational fear of looking stupid. Sometimes I achieved both, and other times, neither! One terrific thing about our indus-try is that it is loaded with others willing to share their successes and failures and help with specific issues. Some very successful leaders who have always been a valuable resource for me and so many others include Breck Cayce, Tom Eisenberg, Bill Elliott, Steve Helle, Tammy Miller, Bob Smith, Wes Smith, George Vorwick, and David White. Each of these leaders has welcomed questions or visits from my team. I owe a lot of my success to them and others be -cause of their willingness to share. While not necessarily having as much to share as others, I have always been open to discussing anything with those who asked. I have hosted dozens of peers at Wiseway Supply to show them how we do things—deploy our ERP system, market to our customers, etc. I do this because I enjoy helping others be successful and avoid my mistakes. Also, I want our channel to win. I want it to be vibrant, growing, and the channel of choice for our manufacturers who are constantly seeking the most efficient way of going to market with their products. So be inquisitive. Be willing to ask. No one ever called me to tell me something that I should be doing to make Wiseway Supply more success-ful; I had to ask. Be confident about seeking the help of others in our industry. There are so many willing to share—all you have to do is ask. n Cain is president of Wiseway Supply in Florence, Ky. He can be reached at jcain@wisewaysupplycom.4 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comCHAIR / COLUMNBE WILLING TO ASK & SHARE by John Cain Copyright © 2023 by National Association of Electrical Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Vol. 60, No. 3PUBLISHER Scott Costa scosta@naed.org EDITOR Misty Byers mbyers@naed.org ART DIRECTOR Randi Vincent rvincent@naed.org PRODUCTION EDITOR Karen Linehan klinehan@naed.org ONLINE EDITOR Nicky Herron nherron@naed.org EDITORIAL & WEB ASSISTANT Marie Jakle mjakle@naed.org CIRCULATION INQUIRIES subscriptions@naed.org CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Bloom, Kara Bowlin, Craig DiLouie, Jan Niehaus, Joe Nowlan, Ken Simonson ADVERTISING Eastern/Western Regions: Steve Wafalosky, Tom Lasch 1188 Bell Road, Suite 106 Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 (440) 247-1060, Fax: (440) 247-1068 stevew@CVMPmedia.com; tlasch@CVMPmedia.com Central Region: Julie King 1181 Corporate Lake Drive St. Louis, MO 63132 (314) 308-5859, Fax: (877) 312-9801 jking@naed.org AWARDS2009 Award Winnerasbpe.orgMAGAZINE OF THE YEARHONORABLE MENTION2022HONORABLE MENTIONDIGITAL MAGAZINE OF THE YEARasbpe.orgBRONZE NATIONALAWARD2022“√√√A-04.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:23 PM Page 4

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6 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 18 www.tEDmag.comTEDMAG.COM / DIGITAL DOINGS LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST Check out the running list of DistributED podcast episodes. Subscribe to stay updated. It can be found by searching “DistributED with tED Magazine” on all platforms, including Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts.+ Keep In Touch ONLINE2022 Digital Magazine of the Year: Honorable Mentionthe ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTORwww.tEDmag.com Dec.21+ New Product Preview 2022WORD on the Street CONTRACTORS DISCUSS NEW PRODUCT TRENDS AND HOW THEIR CHANNEL PARTNERS CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY SHARE INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE. Q&A: We are proud to receive an honorable mention in ASBPE’s top award honoring business publications that demonstrate consistent editorial and design quality and provide extraordinary reader service. WINNER of 146 ASBPE AWARDS [2015-2022] NATIONAL AWARDS ■ DESIGN: Front Cover-Special Supplement ■ DIGITAL MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR: Honorable Mention ■ MULTI-PLATFORM COVERAGE: Honorable Mention ■ WEBSITE OF THE YEAR: Finalist REGIONAL AWARDS ■ DESIGN: Front Cover-Special Supplement; Opening Spread-Illustration ■ ONLINE: DistributED Podcast AN INDUSTRY PODCASTwith FACEBOOK We’re working on our social media every day. Visit the tED Facebook page, click “Like,” and join in the conversations. FIND US AT: facebook.com/tEDmagazine TWITTER From live tweeting at industry events to timely commentary on industry happenings, follow tED on Twitter to stay in the know. FOLLOW OUR TWITTER FEED: @tEDmagazine INSTAGRAM What is tED up to? From photos from industry events to a look at our headquarters’ happenings, check out our Instagram. EXPLORE OUR INSTAGRAM: tEDmagazine EMAIL Do you have news to share? Send your press releases to tED magazine Editor Misty Byers at mbyers@naed.org or tEDmag.com Web Content Manager Nicky Herron at nherron@naed.org. tEDMAG.COM & lightEDMAG.COM Updated daily, tEDmag.com features headlines on distributor, manufacturer, and people news, while lightEDmag.com offers exclusive features and the latest news and product info from the lighting world. bGOLD REGIONALAWARD2022asbpe.orgGOLD REGIONALAWARD2022asbpe.orgBRONZE NATIONALAWARD2022DigitalDoings-2022-ASBPE.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 5/13/22 11:43 AM Page 6

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REVENUE AND PRICING GROWTH IN THE ELEC- trical sector cooled but remained positive during October through December 2022, ac -cording to the latest quarterly survey from financial firm Robert W. Baird & Co., conducted in partnership with tED magazine. Firms predicted modest further increases in 2023. In Q4 2022, revenues rose by a me -dian of 5.8% from the same three months of 2021 for datacomm respondents—a steep deceleration from the 14.6% gain reported for Q3. Electrical firms also posted a much smaller median gain compared with Q3: 6.6% vs. 12.6%. (Half of firms reported gains exceeding the median, while half reported either smaller gains or pos-sible losses.) The Q4 growth rates for both sectors “were below respondents’ forecasts from last quarter,” Baird noted, “amid extended holiday shutdowns and unfavorable weather impacting construction projects.” Furthermore, year-over-year gains downshifted each month during Q4. For datacomm firms, the median in -crease in revenues slowed from 8.5% in October to 8.4% in November and 5.6% in December. For electrical respon-dents, the medians were 5.7% in October, 4.3% in Novem -ber, and 2.7% in December. (Baird explained that monthly averages may not correlate to quarterly averages “due to rough respondent estimates.”) Despite the deteriorating revenue growth, both sectors outpaced the average among all 20 industrial cate-gories that Baird surveys each quarter. The average revenue growth among those sectors was 4.2%, far less than the Q3 average of 9.3%. Respondents expect a further mod-est dialing back of revenue growth in Q1 of 2023. Electrical respondents anticipate revenue growth at a median year-over-year rate of 5.8% compared with 6.6% in the final quarter of 2022. Datacomm firms expect revenue growth to taper to a 5.1% rate from 5.8%. Nevertheless, these expectations top the all-industry aver-age prediction of a 3.5% growth rate. Several respondents noted a slowdown in residential work, especially the single-family market. But other con-struction segments remain healthy. One participant com-mented, “Contractors in the multifamily area are boom-ing.” Another said, “Bid activity is still high and contracts are starting to be signed on commercial jobs, so expecting to see sales pick back up” in Q1. As with revenue growth, pricing increases moderated from the July-to-September period. Datacomm respondents reported an average pric-ing increase of 4.9%, down sharply from the Q3 average of 12.3%. Electrical firms posted pricing increases that averaged 3.8%, down from the Q3 average of 9%. The all-industry aver-age pricing increase was even smaller, at 3.1%. Respondents had var-ied opinions about the impact of the lesser price increases on profit mar-gins. “Margin is being squeezed on larger work, CURRENT / RESEARCH REVIEW10 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comSURVEY PARTICIPANTS The Q4 2022 survey drew 62 responses from companies with $16 billion in aggregate annual revenue. Just over two-thirds of the firms (68%) are distributors, while 21% are manufacturers. Other business types make up the remaining 11%. Roughly five out of six firms (84%) are elec-trical only; the rest—referred to in this article as datacomm firms—are either datacomm-only (3%) or mixed electrical/datacomm businesses (13%). Participating firms cover a wide range of revenue sizes. Approximately one-fourth (26%) of the firms had less than $10 million in annual revenue, while slightly fewer had revenue of $10 million to $50 million (23%). Another 26% had $51 million to $250 million in rev-enue (31%), while 14% had revenue that exceeded $250 million. Participants serve every region in North America—and beyond. Nearly half the respondents are based in the Midwest (25%) or Northeast (22%), while the South and West account for 20% and 14%, respectively. Canada and inter-national markets account for 9% and 10%, respectively. —K.S.© MATHISWORKS/ISTOCK The Economic & Industry Sector Outlook reveals growth opportunities for the business areas and industries that matter most to you.INDUSTRY INFONAED.org/Outlook√√√A-9,10,12.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/15/23 3:18 PM Page 10

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CURRENT / RESEARCH REVIEW12 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comsmall projects are okay for now,” one participant stated. Another noted, “Slight margin degradation but not concerning,” while two others said, “Gross margin rates still very strong” and “Margins should hold steady as price increases have been accepted into the industry.” Participants are cautious about the full-year outlook for 2023. Data -comm participants predict their rev-enue will increase 5.3% from 2022 to 2023, close to the 5.1% year-over-year increase they project for Q1. Electrical respondents anticipate full-year revenue growth of 3.7%, a slow-down from the 5.8% rise they foresee for January through March. These forecasts bracket the 4.2% average growth forecast across all 20 indus-trial sectors. Regarding the 2023 outlook, sev-eral participants commented they were “eating into our backlog.” A number expect “manufacturer pric-ing will not decrease over 2023, but rather flatten out” in the second half of the year. One predicted, “Revenue will be up, but gross margins under pressure due to rising freight…and personnel costs.” In sum, 2022 ended on a posi- tive but somewhat subdued note compared with the strong revenue and pricing increases recorded in several recent quarters. The Q1 and full-year outlooks for 2023 appear to be similarly positive but slightly less than in the period from October to December. n Simonson is chief economist for the As- sociated General Contractors of America. He can be reached at solomonsimonson@ gmail.com.The industry’s transi-tion to digital holds many opportunities for distribu-tors to successfully meet customer expectations and operate more efficiently—and the NAED Founda- tion is continuing to focus on “Building a Connected Business” as members adopt new solutions for ongoing issues and inte-grate new ideas for greater success. Now available, Build Your Connected Business for 2023 and Beyond is a refreshed, concise version of the 2019 study by Frost & Sullivan that outlined the drivers of this extensive transition, capabilities to enhance processes, and a road map to outline possible paths. This 18-page guide and accompanying appen-dix features key findings, an updated road map, and tips to help companies develop their digital strategies. Go to naed.org and click on “Shop NAED Reports” to download your copy today (members must log in to receive this report at no cost). —tEDBUILD YOUR CONNECTED BUSINESS FOR 2023 AND BEYOND CURRENT / OFFERINGBuild Your Connected Business for 2023 and BeyondBAIRD SURVEY ROTATING QUESTIONAS SUPPLY SEEMS TO BE IMPROVING, ARE CUSTOMERS YOU MAY HAVE LOST OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES RETURNING?56% N/A, did not lose any customers due to supply chain issues 17% No, customers are staying with their new suppliers 27% Yes, customers are returning √√√A-9,10,12.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/15/23 3:20 PM Page 12

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14 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comAS THE THIRD-LARGEST COMMERCIAL SERVICE AIR- port in Washington State, Bellingham Interna -tional Airport—owned and operated by the Port of Bellingham—serves nearly 350,000 passengers annually (prepandemic) through its flights to six nonstop destinations in Arizona, California, Washington State, and the San Juan Islands. Built in 1980, Bellingham International Airport’s 27,000-square-foot terminal was expanded to 105,000 square feet in 2014 to accommodate airline growth through 2040. Over the past four decades, the Port has made con-tinuous upgrades to airport property and facilities as part of its ongoing commitment to delivering the safest, most comfortable, and most positive experience possible to passengers, visitors, and employees alike. So when older lighting technology began creating visibility and mainte-nance concerns in the airport’s outdoor parking areas, the Port of Bellingham reached out to trusted partners from lighting manufacturer LEDVANCE and Seattle-based North Coast Electric for a new lighting system that would deliver the utmost in lighting quality, energy efficiency, low maintenance, and long life. An Outdated Experience “The metal halide lights in our main and economy out- door parking areas were outdated,” said Matthew Rod -riguez, airport operations manager at Bellingham Inter -national Airport. “In addition to the fact that they weren’t energy-efficient, the lights required frequent replacement and their lumen output fell significantly short of what modern lighting can deliver. After evaluating our opportu-nities for maintenance and energy cost savings, the Port CURRENT / PROJECT SPOTLIGHTALL CLEAR LEDVANCE and North Coast Electric teamed up to help keep operations moving safely and efﬁciently at Washington State’s Bellingham International Airport. by Susan BloomIMAGE COURTESY OF LEDVANCE/BELLINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT)A lighting upgrade solved visibility and maintenance concerns at Bellingham International Airport.√√√A-14,16.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/20/23 9:43 AM Page 14

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SĒNIK FLEX WALL WASHER TAPEDOTLESS COB STATIC WHITEDOTLESS COLOR CHANGING RGBW COBULTRA HIGH LUMEN VEGAPRECISION CUT SPEC ULTRAAmerican Lighting’s online tape light BOM builder, A.C.E., oers an easy solution for creating any tape light bill of material. A TRULUX™ TAPE LIGHT FOR EVERY PROJECTSOLUTIONS FOR EVERY JOB THE RIGHT TOOL FOR EVERY APPLICATIONCUSTOM CUT PROGRAM Designed to get you exactly what is needed for every tape light project. Eliminating waste, saving on labor, and en-suring proper connections. LAYOUT SERVICES How many power supplies? What connectors? What tape light to choose? Sometimes all these questions can bog down a job. We have the expertise to answer all those questions for you. Send us your job info and we will help you with the entire job layout. TECHNICAL SUPPORT From concept to com-pletion, our technical support team is here to as-sist you with your project. Via email, phone call or video chat.Sales@AmericanLighting.com | Denver, CO | 800.880.1180 A-015.qxp_2004 EPEC Soccer ad 2/13/23 6:48 PM Page 15

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CURRENT / PROJECT SPOTLIGHT16 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comelected to pursue a lighting upgrade.” The Port team sought the expertise of longtime distributor partner Bob Nietfield, senior lighting specialist at North Coast Electric. “Over time, the 400W metal halide fixtures that lit the airport’s eight to 10 acres of main parking space and economy parking space across the street had grown very dingy and de- livered poor-quality light,” Nietfield confirmed. “In addition, the fixtures were large and cumbersome and up to 5% of them weren’t working at any given time, which was a costly and time-consuming concern for the Port’s on-site electricians, who needed to come out with a lift to replace failed lamps and ballasts sitting on top of 25´-high poles.” According to Rodriguez, “Our goal was to provide better illumination to enhance safety and security for our tenants and customers while reducing energy costs as part of our Port’s ‘Green Direct’ program. We knew that LEDs would be far more cost-effective, require less maintenance and replacement, and provide better lighting and security for our custom -ers and airport staff.” Following a thorough audit of the lighting, “we recommended SYLVA-NIA 200 and 100WLED area lights,” said Nietfield of the fixtures, which sport a 150,000-hour (L70) lifespan, are IP65 rated to ensure reliable oper-ation in demanding environments, and are ideal for parking lots, parking garages, and general outdoor area lighting. “We’d used previous genera-tions of that fixture on other projects with great success and felt that the models with a 4000K color tempera-ture would optimally light the air-port’s parking areas without creating light spillover that could interfere with the pilots’ visibility or other air-port functions.” Installed in two phases in fall 2021 by in-house electricians from the Port of Bellingham, “the upgrade involved one-for-one changeouts of the fixtures on their existing poles, and the instal-lation was pretty easy,” said Nietfield, whose team worked with LEDVANCE to prepare lighting layouts with the proper optics, color temperatures, and light distribution to meet the airport’s needs and specifications. Though installation occurred during the pan-demic, “most of the maintenance crew members were work- ing by themselves on lifts, so there were no issues regarding social distancing, and they also did some of the work at night to avoid any disruption to airport operations,” he said. Wheels Up on Improved Performance Since completion of their upgrade, the air-port team couldn’t be happier with the look and performance of their new out-door lighting. “The Port has received many posi-tive messages from the public regard-ing our LED upgrade,” Rodriguez noted. “The upgrade improved overall lighting for customers departing or arriving during low-light hours, and the Port has also observed a benefit for operations, security, and tenants performing their nightly tasks in the parking lots.” Among other benefits, the upgrade slashed the airport’s previous outdoor lighting energy consumption by more than 50%, saving more than $10,000 a year on energy costs, $6,000 to $8,000 a year on maintenance, and roughly 100,000kWh in energy draw. On top of that, the airport secured a nearly $27,000 rebate on the fixtures from local utility Puget Sound Energy, which further enhanced the project’s ROI and helped the upgrade pay itself back in just over a year. Aesthetically, “the new SYLVANIA LED fixtures have a sleek and modern appearance that matches the concrete poles they’re on,” Nietfield noted, “and the light they emit has given the outdoor parking areas a look and feel that is not only whiter, brighter, and more inviting, but also more secure.” “The Port of Bell -ingham is pleased with the quality and performance of the new LEDs and the additional benefits gained, and North Coast Lighting was professional and responsive to our needs,” Rodriguez said. “Overall, the Port is very happy with the outcome of this project and plans to upgrade the airport’s com-mercial terminal lighting in the near future.” The project’s great outcomes are even more personal for North Coast’s Nietfield, who grew up just two miles from Bellingham International Air -port. “This upgrade was great for both the Port and airport, and passengers, visitors, and employees will now be coming into a much nicer, more well-lit, and more energy-efficient space,” Nietfield said. “I enjoy doing these types of projects because the energy and cost savings are phenomenal, but going from metal halide technol- ogy to these new LED fixtures drives so many other benefits as well—from improved lighting performance to minimal maintenance, greater secur- ity, and an overall nicer look and feel that will benefit the airport for years to come.” n Bloom is a freelance writer/consultant who has spent 25 years covering the light-ing and electrical products industry. Reach her at susan.bloom.chester@gmail.com.The upgrade improved overall light-ing for customers departing or arriving during low-light hours, and the Port has also observed a benefit for opera-tions, security, and tenants performing their nightly tasks in the parking lots. —MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ, Bellingham International Airport√√√A-14,16.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 3:30 PM Page 16

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ONCE THE 118TH CONGRESS CONVENED IN JANUARY—FOLLOWED BY a raucous election in the House of Representatives that saw Kevin McCarthy become Speaker of the House—they were able to get down to some sort of business. In the House of Representatives, the Republicans have a 222-212 voting edge, as of this writing. (In Virginia, a special election is scheduled to fill the seat of Democrat A. Donald McEachin, who passed away in late November.) Meanwhile, in the Senate, Democrats have a 51-49 majority. Going by those party numbers, can anything of significance get passed by both houses, and signed into law, in 2023 and 2024? Or will it be the “Gridlock 18 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comCURRENT / GOVERNMENT WATCHTHE LONG TERM The “Gridlock Congress” just might get some things done. by Joe NowlanCongress,” as some commentators have already called it? A bill passed by the Republican House, for example, wouldn’t figure to go far in the Democrat-controlled Senate and, of course, vice versa. But nothing is ever that simple or clear-cut in Washington. While legislation may not get passed with any consistency, many think that the Republicans in the House will actually be looking more long term, as 2024 will see the next presidential election. “This is going to be a messaging body. They’re not really there to govern. They are there to be the opposition party to the president and the Democratic majority in the Senate,” explained Alex Ayers, exec-utive director of the Family Business Coalition. “So don’t expect great pieces of legislation. This is going to be messaging by Republicans as to why in 2024 they think Repub -licans should take the Senate and the presidency. That’s going to be their goal.” Ed Orlet, NAED senior vice presi-dent of government affairs and strategic projects, looks at the num-bers for the House and Senate and comes to much the same conclusion. “Senate Democrats are going to be pushing judicial nominations, knowing that they’re going to have a hard time getting any real sub- stantive legislation passed because of the House,” he said. “The House will be doing largely messaging. They’ll pass a ton of bills because the Republicans have a 10-seat majority, but they will be messaging bills that are dead on arrival in the Senate.” Palmer Schoening, chairman of the Family Business Coalition, will also be among those looking a year or two ahead. “There were about 30 tax proposals put forward by the Biden administration to raise taxes; only two of them ended up going through,” he said. “The current Estate Tax, the increased exemption © STEPHEN EMLUND/ISTOCK√√√A-18,19,20.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 3:36 PM Page 18

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from 2017, the Trump tax cuts…all will expire at the end of 2025. So in just two short years, we’re going to be negoti-ating for another round of tax reform.” Many tax-related issues could impact NAED businesses down the road, Schoening added. His focus will be on the Estate Tax and how best to keep it from being increased as well as find a way toward its eventual elimi-nation altogether. “There’s a lot on the table, certainly for NAED. We need to make the case now that the Estate Tax should either be permanently extended at its cur-rent rate or repealed entirely,” he said. “And we’re going to try for repeal as hard as we possibly can.” Much as the Republican major- ity in the House may be more of a messaging body than a legislating body, so too will the anti-Estate Tax lobby take a long-term approach. “It’s all cumulative—what you do with Congress and the meetings that you have and the issues that you push,” Schoening explained. “We’ve been working on the Estate Tax now for 10 or 12 years. And the current policy right now is the friendliest. So we’ve done a pretty good job. And depending on what Congress looks like and who the president is, I do think it’s possible in 2025 or 2026 to repeal the tax.” Gridlocked Congress or not, NAED members will still be watching specifi-cally to see what other actions could impact their businesses. Orlet strikes a cautionary note about possible changes in federal regulations rele-vant to NAED businesses. “We’ll need to be vigilant about federal regula-tions. New regulations aren’t neces-sarily harmful, and as always, we’ll try to influence the final regs as appropri-ate and try to help our members understand their impact,” he said. Orlet cited as an example recently issued proposals from the DOE look-ing at possible new standards for gen-eral service lamps, i.e., light bulbs. One positive reminder, though: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is locked into place and cannot be altered by anything Congress might pass. However, any specific guidance or related timeline from the DOE for when and where IRA projects will begin is still uncertain, Ayers said. “The DOE is not being real forth-coming with information,” Ayers explained. “I was on a webinar last week…and they put up a timeline for when they expect to put guidance out and the steps for that process. But √√√A-18,19,20.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 3:34 PM Page 19

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CURRENT / GOVERNMENT WATCH20 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comthey did not include a single date. It shows how overworked they are be -tween the bipartisan infrastructure law and IRA.” It is specifically because of the lack of advisories or timelines that Orlet has been recommending to distribu-tors that they seek information from their respective states’ departments of energy and related bureaus. As part of the IRA, the Biden ad -ministration is planning to invest billions of dollars in EV infrastruc- ture. It represents an enormous op -portunity for the electrical industry. “A lot of the talk then is how is the money for those projects going to be spent,” Orlet said. “What I’ve encour-aged distributors to do is get to know their state energy office. It may be their department of transportation. It may be transportation and energy working together. But the states are going to get a share of that federal money by a formula. And then they eventually are going to have a mecha-nism to fund projects at the county and local level.” Regardless of what happens in Congress, those IRA projects will happen—albeit more slowly than most businesses will want. “Distributors should examine their states’ EV program plans to under-stand how they’re going to spend the money. Then you also need to keep an eye out at the local level for green-lit projects,” Orlet advised. “We hope to see more grid modernization and security, regardless of what happens with EVs. Additionally, the IRA con-tains incentives for individuals to per-form service upgrades to their homes to accommodate electric appliances and EV charging. It also significantly increased the value of the Commer- cial Buildings Tax Deduction. These are unquestionably good things for NAED members.” n Nowlan is a Boston-based freelance writer/editor and author. He can be reached at jcnowlan@msn.com.To better help electrical distributors respond to the needs of electrical contractors, “Contractor Q&A” features remarks from real contractors located nationwide. Responding is Laura Karow, president of Gunnar Electric in Eden Prairie, Minn. This month we asked: WHAT SERVICES PROVIDED BY YOUR DISTRIBUTORS HAVE HELPED YOU THE MOST IN THE PAST YEAR? Karow: Material shortages and delays have been our most pressing issues over the past year: We’re experiencing longer lead times on both lighting and gear and finding that items we would typically purchase just in time aren’t in stock. This has led us to having to procure most items at the start of the job and store them in our warehouse. When we purchased our building, we didn’t plan on warehousing this much material, so now we’re bursting at the seams. We’ve hauled in two storage containers, and we have another site outside of our metro area that we primarily use for storing machines and trailers; that site is also being used for storage of long-lead-time materials. Given our situation, the ability to store materials at our ven-dors’ warehouses and have them delivered to the jobsite when needed has been one of the best things our distributors have been able to help us with over the past year. We need to have the materials in town and ready to go when the project calls for them, so utilizing our distributor partners to store and manage those materials is a huge help. As for any other services our distributors could offer, we’re currently implementing a new material procurement platform that will allow our project managers to send out an RFP directly to our distributors, who can then respond through this system. This means no more multiple emails and quotes to sift through on bid day. It will make procurement of the material easier and will issue the PO through the system and tie the invoice to it into our accounting system. Our field electricians will also be able to easily sort through their system and issue a PO for day-to-day materials they need on their projects. I’ve been told that there are many distributors in our market already using this system; hope-fully all of our distributors will participate. n Send your questions to “tED” Editor Misty Byers at mbyers@naed.org.CONTRACTOR QA+√√√A-18,19,20.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 3:34 PM Page 20

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22 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comCURRENT / HAPPENINGSCRAWFORD RECOGNIZED AS A TOP WORKPLACE Houston-based Crawford, a Sonepar Company, was recog -nized by the Houston Chronicle as one of the “Top 200 Work- places in 2022.” “We believe associates come first and are the most impor -tant aspect of our business,” said President Mike Dumas. “If we have the best associates (which we do!), treat them well, encourage them, and provide opportunity and competitive compensation, they will deliver the best customer experience in the industry, contributing to our collective success.” GRAYBAR NAMED TO “TOP WORKPLACES USA” AWARD FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR St. Louis-based Graybar has been named a “2023 Top Work -places USA” award winner by Energage. This marks the third consecutive year Graybar has been named to this list. “We are very proud to be named as a national top work -place for three years running,” said Kathleen Mazzarella, chair, president, and CEO. “What makes this award so special is that it is completely based on feedback from our employees. Their pride in our company underscores the value of our employee ownership culture, which is based on team -work, innovation, and stewardship.” VAN METER EARNS ITS FIRST “TOP WORKPLACES USA” AWARD IN 2023 Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Van Meter Inc. is a 2023 Top Workplaces USA award recipient—the company’s first appearance on the list. “Being named a national Top Workplace is an incredible honor. It’s our people that make what we do possible, and I am extremely proud to be their fellow employee-owner,” said Lura McBride, president and CEO. “Creating an environment where people feel part of something special, understand how they create value for others, have opportunities to be their best, and achieve remarkable things is a difference maker. We don’t ever want to take it for granted, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to a people-first culture.”AWARDS+HONORSGIVING BACK Schaedler Yesco Honors Heroes In 1942, the families of WWII service-men and -women started to plan a monument for those fighting for their freedoms. It wasn’t until the war was over that they raised enough money to build a monument in Harrison Township, Pa., that held the names of friends, family, and neighbors who made it home—and those who didn’t. In the fall of 2020, six years after the initial plea to the township to re -furbish the monument, it was rededi-cated for the third time. “It really was a mess,” said Bill Randolph, 84-year-old committee member and lifelong resident of Har -rison Township, Pa. “It looked okay from the street, but when you looked closely, it was falling apart.” The original monument cost $4,200 in 1945. The 2020 refurbish-ment was upward of $80,000. While the township shared in the expense, a great deal of the cost was covered by fundraising and gifts. The rededication occurred on Oct. 29, 2020, with only two named service members on the memorial still alive and in attendance. Both have since passed away. “Getting here was a community effort,” explained Gary Meanor, Har -rison Township commissioner and employee of Schaedler Yesco, Harris -Schaedler Yesco donated products and worked with local contractors to install new lighting, completing the restoration of this WWII monument in Harrison Township, Pa.√√√A-22,23.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/20/23 9:44 AM Page 22

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› CES Opens 19th in CO City Electric Supply, Dallas, opened a new location in Love -land, Colo. It’s the company’s 19th location in that state. › Coburn Buys Chris-More Beaumont, Texas-based Coburn Supply acquired Chris-More, a plumbing wholesaler with three locations in Tennessee. › Sonepar Acquires Alliantz Paris-headquartered Sonepar France acquired a majority stake in Alliantz, a privately owned dis-tributor of PV and energy effi-ciency solutions. › Wesco Rebrands Pittsburgh-headquartered Wesco International rebranded itself as Wesco Anixter. The rebranding represents the com-bined international efforts in the Caribbean and Latin America; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Asia Pacific regions. › Acuity Brands Agreement Acuity Brands Lighting will par-ticipate in the BIOS (Biological Innovations and Optimization System) ILLUMINATED partner-ship program. In connection with this agreement, BIOS will sell to Acuity Brands certain human-centric LED lighting components for use in its architectural light-ing fixtures for wellness. Acuity Brands will also have the world-wide right to use the BIOS trade-mark for marketing and promoting the lighting fixtures that include BIOS SkyBlue technology. › Allied Brand Rebrands Allied Electronics & Automation, the main trading brand of RS Group in the Americas, was re -branded as RS. Rebranding Allied as RS is RS Group’s latest effort to consolidate the product offer-ing, service portfolio, and experi-ence of its global brands under a single, unified RS brand identity. › Inﬁnite Electronics Buys Infinite Electronics acquired Bul -gin. Based in the U.K., Bulgin de -velops and manufactures connec-tors and related components for harsh-environment applications. › Legrand Partnership Legrand announced a partnership with Microban, a provider of anti -microbial and odor control solu-tions, beginning with the addition of antimicrobial protection to the adorne Collection of designer switches and outlets. › Orbit Moves HQ Orbit Industries recently moved into its new corporate HQ in Bell Gardens, Calif. The new facility is home to Orbit’s West Coast ware-house and DC. › Siemens Acquires in U.K. Siemens acquired Vendigital, a consulting company based in the United Kingdom; it is now part of Siemens Advanta. › Southwire Milestone On Jan. 21 the first copper bar was cast at Southwire’s new cop-per rod plant in Carrollton, Ga.— a key milestone in the start-up of the largest and most sophisti -cated Southwire continuous rod system in the world.www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 23burg, Pa. “When it came time to plan the lighting last year, Schaedler Yesco wanted to help. After all, the company doesn’t just work here; this is their community too.” At the end of 2022, the company donated products and worked with local contractors to install the new lighting, finally completing the res -toration and providing the finishing touch to the monument. Georgia CES Branch Funds Money for Shriners Programs In December, City Electric Supply (CES) in Gainesville, Ga., held its fifth annual car show to raise money for Christmas presents to donate through the Lanier Shrine Club. The six CES team members prepared for a year leading up to the event, which was attended by hundreds of people who donated more than $6,700. Service Wire Partners with Boy Scouts of America Service Wire recently entered a multi-year partnership with the Buckskin Council, a local chapter of the Boy Scouts of America, which serves thou-sands of youths and their families across 40 counties in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Through this donation, Service Wire hopes to help enrich the lives of young scouts across these four states so that they might benefit from the unique and special experiences of the organization’s programs. “It’s our honor to be able to contrib -ute to the Buckskin Council through this partnership,” said Louis Weisberg, president. “The values learned and skills taught through scouting pro-grams like this one create memories that will last a lifetime for these chil-dren. The council is doing an amazing service for our local community, and I hope we’re able to support them for many years to come.” nINDUSTRY NEWS Around the GlobeFor up-to-date industry news and information, go to tEDmag.com. Got an event or news item to share in “tED”? Send it to mbyers@naed.org. √√√A-22,23.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/16/23 10:09 AM Page 23

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BUSINESS / MARKET FOCUSTHE COVID PANDEMIC OPENED THE DOOR TO A housing market frenzy, as American urbanites equipped for remote work moved to outlying suburbs and nearby towns. They sought dis-tance from COVID-infected crowds and homes large enough to comfortably multifunction as homes, offices, schools for children, day care centers, health clinics, fitness centers, restaurants, theaters, hair salons, workshops, and kennels. And during the early months of the pan-demic, they also sought—and found—low-interest mortgages. Predictably, the law of supply and demand kicked in: “a jump in single-family building activity that occurred in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pan-demic in large metro outlying counties and exurban areas,” reported the Na -tional Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Data released by economists at Realtor.com show new single-family housing starts averaging 800,000 a year from 2013 to 2019. And then in 2021, starts jumped to 1.1 million. This was very good news, not only for those vacating large cities, but also for all Americans, since the U.S. hous-ing shortage has been dire for decades. According to Fred -die Mac, the nation suffered a housing deficit of 3.8 mil- lion units (including single-family houses, condos, and apartments) when the COVID-precipitated housing boom started. “The main driver of the housing shortfall has been the long-term decline in the construction of single-family homes,” according to Freddie Mac’s 2021 report: “Housing Supply: A Growing Deficit.” Developers couldn’t build homes fast enough, encouraged by rising demand but impeded in part by the chronic labor shortage. Their chal-lenge was exacerbated when the sup-ply of building materials—and almost every other commodity—shrank and jammed up in transportation bottle-necks. Again, the law of supply and demand responded, this time with higher prices—much higher prices. And then when the Federal Reserve repeatedly raised interest rates and mortgage lenders fol-lowed suit, home prices jumped even more dramatically. According to a Redfin report released in late 2022: • Mortgage rates had more than doubled nationwide since late 2021. • The monthly mortgage payment on a “typical” U.S. home stood at $2,682. • This monthly sum would require an annual gross Develop a strategic vision and direction for your company with NAED’s Customer Purchasing Proﬁles.NAED.org/customer-purchasing-proﬁlesINDUSTRY INFO26 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comBUSINESS / OFFERINGProduct data is critical to the channel, but in -complete, out-of-date, or inaccurate information costs the industry millions due to inefficiencies and lost sales. To better understand how this happens and doc-ument current processes, NAED talked to manufac-turers, distributors, data solution providers, and data syndicators to de- termine friction points and learn best practices to help address these issues. The results in -clude a one-page journey map and suggestions to help improve product creation, modification, and enhancements. Go to naed.org and Shop NAED Reports to download your copy today (as a member, be sure to log in to re -ceive this report at no cost). —tEDNAED’S JOURNEY MAP OF PRODUCT DATA© Gold Research Inc. | www.goldresearchinc.com | 1-800-549-7170Lead the Way with Better Product DataResearch Summary of Insights, Findings and Product Data Journey Map Published January 2023√√√A-25,26,27.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/20/23 10:09 AM Page 26

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income of $107,281 to meet the “housing affordability” standard (defined as no more than 30% of gross income). According to the NAHB, by November 2022, 59% of single-family homebuilders were offering incentives to buyers, including price cuts, mortgage buy-downs, and paid points. Reportedly, 37% of builders were cutting prices an average of 6%. The incentives, however, were insufficient to sustain the elevated demand. Would-be buyers backed off and builders scaled down. In October 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a year-over-year 7.1% drop in single-family build-ing permits issued Riding this roller coaster, along with many other electri-cal distributors from early 2019 through 2022, is United Electric Supply, Chino, Calif., the residential division of Main Electric Supply, which is headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif. “We’re in a good spot in Southern California because there is such a huge housing shortage. Over the past two years, our sales have really exploded,” said Shawn Luber, vice president and head of the residential division. “We move with the market. The housing market in Southern California was flat in 2019-2020, but we experi-enced huge growth in 2020-2021. We actually set a record for United. Then in 2022, we set another record. Houses were selling like hotcakes,” Luber said. United’s residential electrical contractors and the national builders they serve are doing their best to remedy California’s widely publicized extreme housing shortage. “Our contractors want to burn through these projects and build as many homes as they possibly can as fast as possi-ble. With production homes, it is literally almost the same thing in every single home,” he explained, in contrast to custom homes, where the customer deliberates and decides every single detail. Even though price points are higher with custom homes, the sale and construction both take much longer. Slow, Skimpy Supply Builders’ dominant concern during the supply chain crisis has been the timely availability of materials. In fact, some builders even tried to buy direct from manufacturers, Luber reported. “Over the past two years, everything has been about supply. It’s been a nightmare. We had a huge issue with a particular brand of cable. I was buying from sources that I never thought I would buy from. But it wasn’t just that. Everything was in short supply. And with those shortages, the prices just kept rising. The manufacturers knew we needed supply. We couldn’t haggle over prices. If we did, we wouldn’t get the supplies,” Luber recounted. Finally, supply has stabilized, according to Luber: “The high prices were accepted over the past 18 months because of the shortage of supplies, but supplies have caught up for the most part. Builders are demanding not only a stabiliza-tion of prices, but also reductions. Most manufacturers understand that any new price increases will come with an enormous amount of scrutiny.” Today, the supply of building materials has stabilized, and product prices are expected to drop in the near future. “Right now, the small to medium-size builders want to take on less risk. Some of the larger builders are saying they’re going to keep building, but everyone knows there’s going to be some kind of a dip in 2023—we just don’t know how much,” Luber said. “Hopefully, it will last only a year or so. High mortgage rates are the biggest barrier now. Once the environment is better for the buyer, we’re going to hit another boom.” Luber’s expectations align with those of the NAHB, which has forecast a 15% to 20% decrease in the number of single-family home starts in 2023 but a market rebound in 2024. n Niehaus, LEED GA, is the president and founder of Communi -cation by Design (communicationbydesign.net). Reach her at Jan@CommunicationByDesign.net.www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 27BUSINESSMAXIMIZE DIGITAL EFFICIENCIESBy syndicating through a single source, manufacturers who use IDEA Connector increase pro昀tability by:Get your products to market faster: idea4industry.com/idea-connectorComplete, accurate, and up-to-date product dataMaximum transparency of data sourceReduced order errors and returns√√√A-25,26,27.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 3:52 PM Page 27

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IN TODAY’S DIGITAL WORLD, CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOY- ees alike want to conduct business with the ease of click-ing a button—and Nacogdoches, Texas-headquartered Elliott Electric Supply has delivered just that, creating a range of apps for both employees and customers that offers user-friendly functionality and a streamlined experience. Established in 1972, Elliott employs more than 2,500 across 175-plus branches across Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Chief Infor -mation Officer Phil Hale is responsible for all of the company’s IT needs and works with customers, employees, and suppliers to im -prove user experience as well as enhance processes for greater efficiency. “I’m always looking for ways to sim-plify complex tasks using automation and increase the productiv- ity of our employees, customers, and suppli-ers,” he noted. Here, Hale discusses the variety of apps his team created, how they enhance the ease of doing business, and top tips to help distributors achieve success in the connected realm: Q: What apps are used at Elliott Electric? Hale: We’re using multiple apps, all of which have been designed and developed in-house: • Our CRM app is used by our outside sales force and sales management team for customer relationship man-agement. It allows our salespeople to set up schedules with existing and prospective cus-tomers and follow up with any tasks for the next meeting; it also allows salespeople to track expenses, mile -age, and customer- facing information (such as account details, orders, quotes, pricing, etc.) to ensure that they can fully assist custom -ers when they meet. • Our “Elliott Em -ployee” app enables any Elliott Electric employee to track expenses on credit cards, access contact info for salespeople, and demonstrate cus-tomer functionality. There are a lot of new features that we’ll be adding to this app over the next couple of years. • Designed for any customers of Elliott Electric, whether they have accounts with us or not, our “Elliott Mobile” app enables them to use our online catalog, view their BUSINESS / MATTERSGET CONNECTED The in-house apps that are helping to streamline Elliott Electric’s business. by Susan Bloom© MINI SERIES/ISTOCK28 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.com√√√A-28,30.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:25 PM Page 28

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BUSINESS / MATTERS30 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comaccount details, make payments on their account, find locations and con-tact info for our personnel, and sched-ule pickup at our will-call counters with curbside service as well as access other options. • Our multiple WMS apps are designed for our warehouse and deliv-ery employees and support functions such as picking, receiving, cycle-counting, stock chaser, ticket audit, delivery, customer returns, and more. • Finally, our will-call app is for our employees when the customer is using our curbside service option via the customer app. Q: Why did you develop your apps (e.g., what need or problem are/were they addressing)? Hale: Our apps are developed and implemented to improve the user/ customer experience. For example, our customer app (Elliott Mobile) has been in existence for years, but we continue to add functionality to it as our customers’ needs change. One feature added during the pandemic was to identify where customers could use the app for curbside service/will-call pickups and notify the store loca-tion when they were on their way; if the customer allowed us to use GPS fencing, we could notify the ware-house when it was time to meet the customer in the parking lot. As the customer parked, they could verify their parking location as the Elliott employee was bringing material out to their vehicle; the customer could then pay and sign for the material at their vehicle to reduce both time as well as the chances of spreading COVID. Another example is our Elliott Employee app. We’ve added many features over the years, but recently we added the ability to take pictures of credit card receipts to help auto-mate the credit card expense, audit, and approval process for employees who use company credit cards. We’re now developing the ability to not only load the receipt, but also classify the expense (travel and entertainment, for example) and the location that the expense is tied to. This will help im -prove both the processes of verifying/ approving the expense and posting it correctly on the general ledger. Q: Please describe the devel-opment process for your apps. Hale: I usually start the process by understanding the needs of the em -ployee or customer. We then develop a design plan with mockups so that we can share it with those who will be using/benefiting from the app’s func-tionality. Once this is reviewed, tweaked, and approved, I assign it to a development team to develop in-house. Development can take anywhere from a couple of months for smaller apps to years for more complex ones like our CRM and cus-tomer apps, which require a lot more development time. I’d say that we have a couple of years’ worth of time and resources invested in each of those apps so far. Q: How do you introduce your apps to your users (customers and/or employees), and how have they responded? Hale: New apps and their func- tionality are communicated to em -ployees through internal notices that I develop on the marketing side to describe the features and benefits and explain why employees should use the software. With customers, we send out notices via the mobile app they’re using or via emails to customer con-tacts to communicate the benefits and features of the app as well as how it can help save them time. Our apps have been well received, but we defi-nitely follow up on input from our customers and employees to address any issues or make enhancements. A solid number of customers are cur-rently using our app, but we’re always looking to grow that base, so we con-tinue to communicate the benefits of our apps to inform them of the tools we have to offer. Q: How have your apps helped your company become a more data-driven, connected business, and why is this transformation important to the company? Hale: It’s helped us by improving efficiency and en -hancing the user experience. Helping our employees to do their jobs with greater ease while improving the over-all process is a total win-win. This is defi-nitely important to our corporation, since throwing a “tool” at an employee or customer won’t solve a lot unless the app truly improves productivity and how tasks are being done. Q: Are there any additional tips you’d like to share with readers when it comes to “get-ting connected”? Hale: It’s critical to review the pain points that employees and cus-tomers experience with various processes in your business, under-stand their issues, and meet and work out the process with your actual users to ensure that you have buy-in and success with the resulting app’s func-tionality. Sometimes, what users think will work out ends up not being the final solution; it helps to accept that the app development process will involve changes and redesign on the way to ultimate success. n Bloom is a 25-year veteran of the lighting and electrical products industry. Reach her at susan.bloom.chester@gmail.com.Sometimes, what users think will work out ends up not being the final solu-tion; it helps to accept that the app develop-ment process will involve changes and redesign on the way to ultimate success. —PHIL HALE, United Electric Supply√√√A-28,30.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:25 PM Page 30

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WHAT TRAINING IS THE BEST FIT FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES? WHETHER IT’S PRODUCT OR SALES KNOWLEDGE, NAED HAS YOU COVERED.READY | SET | GO!HIT THE RESET BUTTON FOR 2021 Position Yourself for Success with EPEC and CEP.VSGo a Step Further and Receive DUAL Certication!Contact memberengagement@naed.org to learn more.PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS  Comprehensive Product Knowledge  Six Levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Automation, Lighting, Datacom & Video  Expert Advice from Industry Veterans  Discussion Platform for Students  Online Modules, Capstone and Final Exam  Meets NAED Recommendation of 40 Hours of Training Annually EMPLOYEE BENEFITS  Increased Condence in Working With Cut Sheets and Talking About Products  Increase Sales Potential by Understanding Complementary Products and Substitutions PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS  Comprehensive Sales Training Program from Florida State University  Negotiation Content from SPARXIQ NAED Industry Specic Courses Micro-Learning Format Study Guides and Final Exam Meets NAED Recommendation of 40 Hours of Training Annually EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Increased Condence in Lead Generation Relationship Building and Selling with Integrity Increased Understanding of Buyers Increase Sales Potential by Utilizing a Dened Sales ProcessCoupling CEP’s exceptional sales training with the industry’s best product training completes the package and positions your sales team to be more successful in their role. HIT THE RESET BUTTON A-055.qxp_2004 EPEC Soccer ad 3/14/22 12:53 PM Page 15

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MANY SALESPEOPLE SEE THEMSELVES AS communicators, relationship experts, and hunters. Fewer would consider themselves data analysts. And though the phrase “data analysis” can conjure thoughts of never-ending Excel spreadsheets and Silicon Valley tech startups, there are plenty of accessible ways salespeople can use data to enhance their sales. Here, two experts break it down. What Is Data, Anyway? In short, sales data is any information that can be used by a sales team to make informed decisions. Data can offer insight and allow salespeople to develop better sales strategies and inform decision-making. “I think data, in some way, shape, or form, is helpful to focus and prioritize selling activities,” said Mark Kovac, a senior partner in Bain & Company’s Commercial Excellence practice. “Without data at some level, you’re flying blind and not investing your time wisely.” Andrew Hovarth is principal at Alexander Group, a consulting firm that provides revenue growth consulting services to the world’s leading sales organizations. He rec-ommends that salespeople start with taking a good view of their pipeline to understand what kind of data is required. “Having that customer potential data in a reliable form or fashion is a good first step; that’s really the first place to start. That can be either on the total spend potential or ide-ally some sort of broad product category spend potential,” said Hovarth. “The first stage of data that people gather is focused on their pipeline,” added Kovac. “What are the opportuni-ties in the pipeline? At what stage of develop-ment are they? What are they worth? Are the opportunities in their pipeline with new or repeat customers?” Kovac noted that all this information can be captured easily in a CRM system, but in other cases it can be tracked easily by a salesperson in Excel. Either way, understanding the pipe -line can help determine where a salesperson needs to focus their efforts. Next, Hovarth recommends identifying the current spend of each customer in the pipe -line. “Once you have the actual spend, you can calculate the shared wallet to understand whether it’s more of a retention play or if there are more shares you can get,” he said, adding that it’s also a good idea to look at each customer’s product mix. “Oftentimes distributors might sell just one product category to a customer. You will want to understand how they’re buying across product categories because the ideal is to sell cross portfolio. There should be some indication that if you buy X, you should buy Y. Then, the salesperson is able to have that ammunition to go to the customer and say, ‘Hey, you do buy a lot of switchgear from us, but there are other product categories you’re not buying.’ ” Data Teamwork Whether it’s a Fortune 500 company that identi-fies potential leads from clicks on the website or a smaller business that manually inputs the most critical data points, it takes a team to cap-ture relevant data. Kovac recommends creating some sort of data col- lection coordination—adding that most compa-nies are already doing it in some form. “It’s valuable to coor-dinate data-gathering activities across reps to share best practices. It’s great if someone from the sales operations, finance, 34 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comSELLING / SPOTLIGHTNAED’s CEP Program trains all sales roles by strengthen-ing key sales competencies necessary for success. INDUSTRY INFONAED.org/cepDATA DIVULGES OPPORTUNITIES Mark Kovac of Bain & Com -pany recommends using data to identify opportunities. “Construction permits can be gathered by searching government websites; you can also get your arms around construction permit activity from purchased data sources,” he explained. “You can set up Google Alerts or specific search terms around the type of customer or industry you cover. If you have named accounts and you know specific executives in those accounts, you can have a connection on LinkedIn to keep track of them. Ultimately, it’s about identifying opportunities and then the specific individuals in the account that you engage with.” —K.B.© ISTOCK√√√A-33,34,35.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:02 PM Page 34

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or marketing team actually put into place the infrastructure for data gath-ering on behalf of the sales reps and sending it back out to the reps. It only takes a handful of reps for the benefits of the data visualization to be valu-able,” said Kovac. “Even smaller dis-tributors can look for opportunities to leverage data-gathering opportunities across different reps.” Hovarth encourages sales mana -gers to review data regularly with their employees. “Even something like a weekly meeting with your manager is a forcing function to talk about the underlying data that has shaped their pipeline—why you’re pursuing one prospect over another, expanding the scope or price to help a customer look more like an ideal client, etc.,” he said. “Having a reporting relationship with an expected cadence is critical to in -ject any sort of data and intelligence into the organization.” Using Data to Inform Internal Operations Both experts warn that data doesn’t have to just be about customers; it can also be used to understand one’s own processes and efficiencies. “In general, if a pipeline is not suf-ficient, you will be looking at gather-ing external data. If there are suffi-cient opportunities in the sales funnel, some more internal data could be helpful to prioritize your efforts,” said Kovac. He advocates that salespeople form a habit around getting the data. “I know a rep who scans construction permit data every week—it’s just a habit that they have.” Finally, Hovarth noted that sales-people often overlook their own win/loss data. “Ninety-nine percent of the time when someone loses a deal in electrical distribution, it’s because of the price—or so they claim—but that’s not really the unvarnished truth,” he explained. “They should know whether they fall short in terms of the solution. Was it an issue with the presentation or an issue with the delivery capabilities of the organiza-tion? By understanding the win/loss data, the salespeople are armed with that information and they can use it to prep for objections and better craft the proposal. That’s a critical data element, and it’s one that’s available to everybody. It should be used but rarely is.” n Bowlin is a St. Louis-based freelance writer and publicist. She can be reached at karabowlin@gmail.com.www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 35lightEDmag.comsee light in an all-new way… √√√A-33,34,35.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:02 PM Page 35

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 ®Backed by Economists, Armada Intel, Mr. Keith Prather (MBA) and Dr. Christopher Kuehl (PhD) “I HAVEN’T FOUND A BETTER, MORE SUCCINCT TOOL THAN THE NAED’S NEW ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY SECTOR OUTLOOK AND CONSTRUCTION INDEX, I ENCOURAGE ALL DISTRIBUTORS TO GIVE IT A TRIAL RUN AND SEE IF IT’S AS HELPFUL TO THEM AS IT IS TO US.” “WE SEE IT AS A COST-SAVING OFFERING THAT HELPS US CONSOLIDATE THE SEVERAL SERVICES WE USE, AND AS NAED’S SERVICE CONTINUES TO BUILD OUT, WE’RE HOPING THAT IT CAN EVENTUALLY MEET ALL OF OUR FORECASTING NEEDS OVER TIME. SO FAR, THE FIRST REPORT IS IMPRESSIVE AND WE LIKE WHAT WE SEE.” REVIEWS—DAN DUNGAN, Executive Chairman (Ret.), Springeld Electric ➜ Executive summary!! High level info to you in a snap shot of the economy and each of the 8 sectors. ➜ The outlook forecasts 8 industries and their economic indicators including the economy as a whole, looking at unemployment, copper prices, and GDP just to name a few. ➜ The outlook is designed for EVERYONE not just CEOs, Executives, and Decision Makers. This can be used as a learning tool for those just starting out in the industry OR for those that want to understand more about how the economy aﬀects the electrical industry. ➜ NAED Members Only Access to bonus material and you can interact with NAED’s Business Intelligence Analyst, Erin Prinster, ask questions, and request additional adhoc reports. FEATURES—WES SMITH, President & CEO, Mayer, Birmingham, AL; Senior Vice President-Chief Strategy & Growth Ocer, Rexel USA INDUSTRY SECTORS Research, Data and Analysis provided by NAED’s Business Intelligence Analyst, Erin Prinster (B.S.) Automobile and Light Duty Manufacturing Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services Education Electrical Wholesaling General Medicine and Surgical Hospitals New Multi and Single Family Housing Oil and Gas Extraction Outlook-Infographic-Spread.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 1/20/23 9:50 AM Page 2

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38 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comTHE INTEGRATED PROMO- tional Campaign category of tED magazine’s Best of the Best Marketing Competition honors the creation of three to eight complementary components (includ-ing selling tools, social media, cre-ative displays, print ads, etc.) used to promote the same product or service using a unified, consistent theme or creative execution. In 2022, four entries earned hon-ors in this category. NorthEast Electrical ChargePoint Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations To position itself as the go-to company for EV charging sta- tions throughout New England, NorthEast established a national agreement with ChargePoint and began stocking its product in 2020. In May 2021, NorthEast stepped up its aggressiveness and commitment and brought product into stock and, in June 2021, executed a digital cam-paign to promote the offering. The campaign included a landing page featuring products, spec sheets, videos, digital flyers, contact informa-tion, and a Formstack for more infor-mation. The products were promoted externally via email, a website, social media, TriggerPoint Media, and fly-ers, as well as at events, and intern-ally through weekly emails, text mes-sages, SharePoint, flyers, and training and webinars. “This was a very comprehensive, all-out effort to become New Eng -land’s ‘go-to’ distributor for EV charging stations,” said the judges. “It was well executed—with sales data that proves it.” Summit Electric Supply Service Center Opening In November 2021, Summit Electric Sup- ply opened two new service centers—one in Richardson, Texas, and one in Glendale, Ariz.—within eight days of each other. Summit wanted to communicate to existing in-market customers that another location is open, tell prospective in- market electricians that Summit is coming to their town, gen-erate awareness and frequency so that Summit remains in customers’ initial consideration set when choosing where to buy their electrical supplies, drive foot traffic to each location, and give customers a reason to keep com-ing back. To achieve these goals, the company initiated an integrated cam-paign that included a series of three postcards; animated, co-branded ban-ner ads on ESPN.com, ESPN De -portes, and ESPN’s Fantasy Football app; social media posts; emails; and press releases. The summer and fall SELLING / BEST OF THE BESTWINNING WAYS Four companies earned honors in 2022 for their entries in the Integrated Promotional Campaign category. BEST OF THE BEST Marketing Competition 2022 SEE OUR AUGUST ISSUE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF BEST OF THE BEST WINNERS. THE SUBMISSION WINDOW FOR OUR 2023 CONTEST OPENED JAN. 1 AND ENDS MARCH 31. VISIT TEDMAG.COM/BEST TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COMPETITION. www.naed.org/program-enrollmentsLEVERAGING DATA COURSE DATA ANALYTICS FOR ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTORSLEARN THE TECHNIQUES TO PERFORM ANALYSIS ON THE FOUR MAIN AREAS OF BUSINESS: Sales Revenues, Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Margins, and Operating Expenses. √√√A-38,39.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:39 PM Page 38

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 39editions of Summit’s in ternal news- letter also ensured the entire organi-zation knew about the new service centers and their role in making them a success. The judges called this “an excellent, customer-centric effort” and noted, “I love the graphics that feature real em -ployees. I feel like this is a company I’d want to do business with.” Sonepar USA Pros Need Pros The rollout of Sonepar’s “Pros Need Pros” national campaign focused on highlighting the company’s ability to provide the best possible services, solutions, products, and expertise to electrical contractors across the country. The effort included an internal awareness campaign; a landing page; branded services and solutions pages on operating company sites; customer and internal email marketing cam-paigns; six- and 15-second YouTube ads; a 30-second video for use on social media and the website; targeted geofencing advertising; social media promotion; trade show branding; a print and digital campaign; a cross-functional collaborative committee to consult on messaging and execu-tion; and a monthly report-out of KPIs to leadership. The judges loved the “smart tar-geting of small- and medium-size contractors,” and added, “I like that subsidiaries can easily customize/ brand it for themselves.” Atkore Regional Distribution Center With four regional distribution cen-ters (RDCs) located across the United States, the Atkore marketing team developed a campaign focused on increasing awareness of the RDCs’ locations and capabilities. Deliver -ables developed include an RDC long-form video, social video spots, an email marketing campaign, social media posts, digital banners, a print ad, a website landing page, and flyers. “I like the capabilities listed in the materials, and the videos are really well done: good information, good length,” said the judges, who added, “ ‘One order. One Delivery. One In -voice.’ is brilliant. The whole cam-paign is very bottom-line oriented.” Honorable Mentions Two honorable mentions were awarded to entrants in the Integrated Promotional Campaign category: • Hubbell Lighting: NXP2 Series Lighting Control Panel • Keystone Technologies: High Bays with PS/CS —tED2022 WINNING ENTRIES / INTEGRATED PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNNorthEast ElectricalSonepar USASummit Electric SupplyAtkore√√√A-38,39.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:39 PM Page 39

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44 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comThe Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryJANELLE BLAZEJEWSKI Marketing Manager, Electri-Flex, Roselle, Ill. ➔ Digital transformation means a company has adopted digital technology into all business activities, changing how they oper-ate and how they serve their customers. At Electri-Flex, we’ve done this in a number of ways and, of course, are still evolving and adopting new methods as this is an ongoing transforma-tion. We are more flexible than we’ve ever been before as we’ve found some positions can work remotely. This means we’ve adopted new ways of communicating, such as Teams and Zoom, to keep us connected and allow us to attract the right talent by not limit-ing ourselves to geo-graphic location. We also continue to look at how technology can help us in manufacturing, improving efficiencies, and allowing us to increase production, streamline processes, and do it in a more envi-ronmentally sustainable way. And in marketing, we continue to move to digital methods of target-ing and reaching custom -ers, not only improving communication, but also having a greater reach at increasing brand aware-ness. All of this serves our customers as this digital transformation allows us to move faster, manufacture more, in -crease brand awareness, and remain competitive. JACOB GERSTENBERG Buyer II, NorthEast Electrical, Brockton, Mass. ➔ Digital transformation is the transition from typical pen-and-paper style of business to a more interconnected and analytical system. The first step is getting customers to adopt digi-tal checkout, website, and mobile app for avail-ability and easy pur- chases. That gives us the ability to better serve them by offering more personalized services at a much faster speed. There is also a lot of data that can be gained from innovative upgrades in warehouses. TYLER IHRY Regional Procurement Manager, Border States, Brooklyn Park, Minn. ➔ Digital transformation means we are catapulting ourselves forward when it comes to the manage-ment and utilization of our data. It’s a massive exercise to transform all parts of your business to be digital enabled. From master data management and analytics (tools, data science, modeling, etc.) to e-commerce and cus-tomer and vendor inte-gration, you name it, it means we are commit-Adopt digital technology in all business activities.What does “digital transformation” mean to you?√√√A-44,45,46,47,48.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:35 PM Page 44

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 45The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryDigital transformation is activating our data to make more informed decisions. —DANIEL KNAPP Director of Sales, Southern Wisconsin, Standard Electric Supply, Milwaukee 01/ VALUEting to surrounding our-selves with intuitive data insights to help us do our best work. BROCK KLEIN, Director of Sales and Marketing, Electri-Flex, Roselle, Ill. ➔ Digital transformation means leveraging new digital tools to better manufacture, serve, and sell product. Decision-making is data driven vs. feeling/experience. Customer experience is enhanced by readily available information via portals, websites, and apps automation—letting technology work for you, whether it is in the pro-duction of a product or the populating of infor-mation. Tools like CRM, business intelligence plat-forms, websites, ERP systems, expense report-ing, and self-service HR portals are the basis of digital transformation. JAYNE WILKS Marketing Manager, CANTEX, Fort Worth, Texas ➔ Digital transformation is using technologies to create change to increase efficiency and improve customer experience. Today, with so much of business taking place on the Internet, this transfor-mation is more important than ever. Consistent and excellently formatted data is crucial to doing busi-ness in a world where product data can be seen all over the Internet. Technology is necessary to make sure data is con-sistent across an entire digital footprint. The spreadsheet era is over. LURA MCBRIDE President and CEO, Van Meter Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa ➔ Digital transformation is a broad term. It de -scribes how a business reinvents—or transforms —itself in a way that inte-grates technology, talent, and processes to improve business outcomes and create value for custom -ers in new ways. At Van Meter, digital transforma-tion is about evolving, embracing new ap -proaches, and investing to remain relevant in a fast-paced, highly com-petitive industry. It’s about enhancing tradi-tional business practices with digital solutions within a unified business strategy and vision. KEVIN REED Director of Purchasing and Data Analytics, Paramont EO, Woodridge, Ill. ➔ At Paramont, digital transformation means a switch from what you think you know to trust-ing hard data on what is actually happening. Long gone are the days of wandering our stock aisles and buying what we think we need due to a visual of what is left on the shelf. Today, we let the data dictate what we buy and how often we purchase. Let technology work for you.√√√A-44,45,46,47,48.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:27 PM Page 45

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The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the Industry46 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comDigital transformation is a holistic, transparent, and truthful data partnership. Allied data is the key, so that both sides of a relationship can create new or modify existing practices to build a more successful, delightful experience together. —MAUREEN BARSEMA Industry Principal, Enable, Madison, Wis. 01/ VALUETAYLOR LOWE WINDHAM Branch Manager, Irby, Pensacola, Fla. ➔ Digital transformation means delivering a best-in-class omnichannel experience to our cus-tomers where they can engage with us and buy how and where they pre-fer, as well as provide a value-added customer experience through the buying process. JULIE WYCKOFF Director of Communica -tions, Turtle & Hughes, Linden, N.J. ➔ At Turtle, digital trans-formation is founded on the fundamentals of cus-tomer service. We meet customers where they are, advance their strate-gic goals, and eliminate friction from all touch points. We can also elimi-nate mundane employee tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex, human interactions and achieve higher levels of productivity and job satisfaction. The digital platform does not replace our experts, whose in -dustry and client knowl-edge are at the core of our offering. JOE FLYNN President, Alloy LED, Emeryville, Calif. ➔ Transformation pow-ered by digital technolo-gies has been advancing at a somewhat predict -able pace for years, but with the advent of high-quality and available AI, as demonstrated by apps such as ChatGPT, we at Alloy LED anticipate the pace changing rapidly. Customers will be able to receive lighting informa-tion, quotes, and product guidance at a speed that is currently unimaginable. It will be a time of much upheaval, but also much opportunity. JAMES GOLANDO Director of Marketing, Warshauer Electric Supply, Tinton Falls, N.J. ➔ Digital transformation for an electrical whole-saler means serving cus-tomers, and possibly consumers, digitally. We have done this by creating an industry-leading e-commerce website and focusing our efforts on educating our clients on the bene-fits of shopping online. We’ve made it easy to manage accounts and pay bills through our online portal. Our digital transformation has also given us access to essential data that drives more effective marketing campaigns. A time of upheaval—and opportunity.√√√A-44,45,46,47,48.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:27 PM Page 46

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 47The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryWe have created a new role of digital and e-commerce manager. Initially, it involved improving our e-commerce abilities and overall website functionality, as well as social media. We rely on our marketing manager to use analytics to drive improved penetration with our customers. —JOHN CAIN President and CEO, Wiseway Supply, Florence, Ky. 01/ VALUEMICHAEL HAMMER Corporate Switchgear Manager, Shepherd Electric, Hanover, Md. ➔ Digital transformation is being able to build a business that: 1. is scalable, support-ing high growth 2. improves our cus-tomer experience 3. increases visibility both up- and downstream 4. increases profitabil-ity through efficiency 5. increases opera-tional resiliency CHRIS CHICKANOSKY CEO, Halco Lighting Technologies, Norcross, Ga. ➔ At Halco, digital trans-formation is viewed through the lens of our customer experience. We set out on a journey to offer a set of solutions and technology platforms that deliver an excep -tional customer experi-ence. The transformation we strive for is continued improvement on the seamless connection of systems, technology, and information that brings value to our cus-tomers, agents, and employees. If done well, it should yield a profitable and easy experience for our customers. BILL MANSFIELD Senior Vice President-Strategy and Business Development, Graybar, St. Louis ➔ At Graybar, we believe that digital transformation powers long-term busi-ness transformation. Digital transformation focuses on using technol-ogy in innovative ways to help people achieve more, which is vital in a people-to-people industry like distribution. At the same time, advancements in technology are helping us reimagine what’s possible and changing how work gets done. In that sense, digital transformation is a catalyst for exploring new growth opportunities, elevating the customer experience, and creating a competitive advantage. RYAN SASSCER Director of Product Management North America, Sonepar, North Charleston, S.C. ➔ At Viking Electric (and its parent company Sonepar), we view our digital transformation as a full business transfor-mation. Digital solutions can help us to identify the strengths and the weaknesses in our busi-ness. Whether those are related to supply chain, product lead times, or online pricing for a spe-cific customer type, each of these issues (that may have been hidden behind an inside sales rep) are now completely exposed via the website or mobile app. That is why digital transformation requires a full business transforma-tion. It is transforming our supply chain so that Provide a better customer experience. √√√A-44,45,46,47,48.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:35 PM Page 47

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48 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comThe Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryDigital transformation means using technology to convert information or data into a digital format and transform how companies deliver value to their customers and suppliers. —DAVID ROSENSTEIN President and CEO, CX Connexion, Buffalo Grove, Ill. 01/ VALUEcustomers can receive same-day orders through our digital solutions or place an online order in the evening for next-day delivery. Customers are now able to track and trace their products us -ing real-time delivery notifications. These ser-vices are essential for our customers and are enabled by a modern supply chain. It forces us to transform our pricing model so that customers trust the prices they see online and do not feel required to call a sales rep. It forces us to trans-form the role of our inside sales associates so that, as more orders come in through digital channels, our salespeople can spend their time on delivering even more ser-vices for our customers. It transforms the role of our outside sales asso-ciates by giving them richer insights into their customers’ wallet share and upsell opportunities, and helps sales to pair the right service to the right customer. We can-not drive digital transfor-mation without truly transforming our entire organization toward an omnichannel mindset. GEORGE VORWICK AND SUSAN KERNER President and CEO (Vorwick) and Director of Data Analytics (Kerner), United Electric Supply, Wilmington, Del. ➔ Increasing digital capa-bilities and awareness within our organization regarding opportunities to leverage the data we’ve generated tells a more complete story about our customers, their needs, and the overall market. We are focused on im -proving business out-comes by integrating technology with people and processes. DENISE KEATING AND ANGELA BARAKS Vice President of Customer Success (Keating) and Director of Data Quality & Standards (Baraks), IDEA, Arlington, Va. ➔ Digital transformation is the process of reimag-ining your business and leveraging technology to create new or modify existing processes to deliver a better customer experience and an oppor-tunity to provide more value. The digital trans-formation doesn’t neces-sarily mean leaving behind all your old ways. It’s those who blend the physical world with the digital world that are going to be the winners.Transformation requires a full- business approach.√√√A-44,45,46,47,48.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:28 PM Page 48

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 49The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryJOHN CAIN President and CEO, Wiseway Supply, Florence, Ky. ➔ Wiseway utilizes the Epicor Eclipse Solar as its ERP system and has deployed the majority of its add-on modules—e.g., signature capturing, digi-tal imaging for paperless (processes), etc. We look to technology to make Wiseway scalable—e.g., BillTrust, Evolution X, data centers, paperless, etc. I am confident that our commitment to technol- ogy has set us ahead of our competition. It has also enabled Wiseway to grow much faster. Technology is a tool. Each of the above- mentioned tools solve problems or create ca- pacity. For example, the Eclipse paperless module prevents us from having to spend time on the tra-ditional paper chase, and BillTrust enables us to manage our customers’ invoices in a more effi-cient manner than we could internally. We con-tracted with a data cen-ter after we lost a half-day’s business due to a faulty backup from a service that promised us a “gold standard” backup process (that failed!). Adding branches and purchasing companies are made significantly easier by using technol- ogy that makes us scal-able. We immediately grew our business by 40% with a single acqui-sition that did not require us to add or change our backend—e.g., servers, added people, etc. JAYNE WILKS Marketing Manager, CANTEX, Fort Worth, Texas ➔ Technology has served as a major resource to improving customer ex -perience. It has helped us provide better and more uniform data to our entire sales channel and customers alike. The digi-tal catalog on our web-site and agent portal have put CANTEX’s PVC prod-uct and order informa-tion a click away from those who need it. Addi -tionally, working with Google algorithms and search engine optimiza-tion has put our products in front of millions of people in the industry. JAMES GOLANDO Director of Marketing, Warshauer Electric Supply, Tinton Falls, N.J. ➔ Technology has drasti-cally changed the electri-cal supply universe. One great example is how we handle deliveries: Previously deliveries had to be planned out manually. Warehouse managers would look at delivery tickets and orga-nize them by location. They would then attempt to plan the trucks’ routes as best they could. Now we have a delivery soft-ware that integrates with our ERP software. This delivery software automatically collects the manifests from our ERP, integrates with Google Maps for turn- Improve the customer experience.How has technology solved a problem for your company?√√√A-49,50,51,52,53.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:29 PM Page 49

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50 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comThe Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryIt has given us a better and faster path to growth. —KEVIN REED Director of Purchasing and Data Analytics, Paramont EO, Woodridge, Ill. 02/SOLUTIONby-turn directions, and saves proof-of-delivery information. GEORGE VORWICK AND SUSAN KERNER President and CEO (Vorwick) and Director of Data Analytics (Kerner), United Electric Supply, Wilmington, Del. ➔ For decades we’ve uti-lized manual processes for maintaining price files. Given the recent supply chain issues, infla-tion, and the correspond-ing impact on the volume of price changes, we developed a digital tool to map and test large prod-uct data sets. We are now able to uncover er -rors before they are entered into our business system. This new digital process is saving weeks of manual inspection of data that, in the past, would have inadvertently corrupted our pricing data. This single change has improved the effi-ciency of how we load price changes and im -proved the accuracy of product data, eliminating costly errors and improv-ing customer service. BILL MANSFIELD Senior Vice President-Strategy and Business Development, Graybar, St. Louis ➔ Technology enhances all aspects of Graybar’s business. As we move forward on our business transformation journey, the most important les-son we have learned is that technology on its own does not solve prob-lems or drive transfor-mation. Successful trans-formation always starts by engaging the people—our employees, custom -ers, and suppliers—who are vital to our success. Engaging our people allows us to ask the right questions and explore new ideas that have never been done before. Whether it’s rethinking an internal process or developing a new idea, involving people who challenge the status quo and embrace change is key to any transfor-mation. With their insight and experience we can leverage the capabilities of technology to trans-form what we do and how we do it. This also helps inspire an inclusive culture of innovation, where everyone can play a role in our transforma-tion moving forward. While it’s a simple concept, our people/ process/technology framework ensures that our technology implementations achieve the desired results and that our technology investments align with Engage those vital to success.√√√A-49,50,51,52,53.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:51 PM Page 50

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 51The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryUtilizing intelligent document processing technology that allows our associates to focus on more value-driven tasks. —DANIEL KNAPP Director of Sales, Southern Wisconsin, Standard Electric Supply, Milwaukee 02/SOLUTIONour strategic vision for the future. DENISE KEATING AND ANGELA BARAKS Vice President of Customer Success (Keating) and Director of Data Quality & Standards (Baraks), IDEA, Arlington, Va. ➔ At IDEA, we put prod-uct data into motion to drive results. That’s what we’re doing with our partner programs like rebate management with Enable, product con-tent audits with Industry Insight powered by Con -tent Status, and IDEA Volumetrics with Avalon. IDEA also offers the NAED X-Check program, which offers cross-references, keywords, and product relationship data. We’ve had distributors using NAED’s X-Check service significantly increase e-commerce sales. These services, in addi-tion to IDEA Connector and IDEA Exchange, are creating more value for our customers and empowering them to solve challenges in their businesses. RHANDI KUCHENMEISTER Purchasing Agent, K/E Electric Supply, Mount Clemens, Mich. ➔ A frequent request by many of our customers has been for more/better information regarding their existing projects and orders. I’m sure we all get daily calls, texts, and emails about when a cus-tomer order will ship or is expected to ship so they can plan their proj -ects. One of our recent software transformations has been to better serve our customers by giving them what they want—more information—by using data from manu-facturers typically via the Electronic Data Inter -change (EDI). Most manufacturers that use EDI for typical transactions like POs and Invoicing offer data for updates and changes to existing POs and ship-ments, sometimes giving the exact tracking num-ber for each shipment. Many non-ED-channel companies offer line item detail for orders, so why can’t we do the same to better service our cus-Give customers what they want.√√√A-49,50,51,52,53.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:30 PM Page 51

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52 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comThe Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustrySpeed of delivery. Technology has decreased time on order placement, order fulfillment, picking, and packing shipments. Routing for deliveries has become much more efficient and we are able to pick orders for customers in a much shorter period of time. —JACOB GERSTENBERG Buyer II, NorthEast Electrical, Brockton, Mass.02/SOLUTIONtomers? Even better, what if it was auto-mated? This series of software upgrades has reduced internal labor as employees don’t have to call or email multiple times a day to find track-ing information for vari-ous orders, and some customers receive auto-mated bill-of-materials emails with weekly up -dates for long projects. TIM BURNS Digital Solutions Manager, Viking Electric, Minneapolis ➔ Digital technology has allowed us to respond to our customers’ pain points and help solve some of their problems. We recognize that our customers are under more pressure than ever to efficiently manage complex electrical proj-ects and meet strict proj-ect deadlines. Over the course of any electrical project, our customers are expected to continu-ously track down dispar -ate project information—from a variety of sources —to obtain a clear snap-shot of the project’s status on any given day. This time-consuming effort includes countless phone calls and emails to check in with our project managers and sales reps; searching online for in -ventory, pricing, and ma -terials availability; com-municating with their project managers and foremen about a project’s status; obtaining proof-of-materials deliveries; and hunting for project documentation (drawings, installation instructions, and O&M manuals). Managing projects in this manner requires a great deal of time and attention, especially when there are several overlap-ping projects running in parallel. With these pain points in mind, Viking Electric developed a pro-prietary online tool called the Digital Job Center (DJC), a turnkey solution that provides all our cus-tomers’ project-related information in one place online, so they can more efficiently manage their projects and, hopefully, increase their profits. Best of all, the DJC allows our customers to free up the time otherwise spent gathering all of this project-related informa-tion from a variety of Respond to pain points.√√√A-49,50,51,52,53.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:32 PM Page 52

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 53The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryTechnology has allowed us to automate our digital demand generation (from a manual process), providing for targeted marketing, analytics, and lead generation. —DAVID ROSENSTEIN President and CEO, CX Connexion, Buffalo Grove, Ill. 02/SOLUTIONsources, spend more time focusing on other impor-tant aspects of their projects, and it frees up time for them to chase/ bid additional projects. TAYLOR LOWE WINDHAM Branch Manager, Irby, Pensacola, Fla. ➔ Having the ability to track various metrics has enabled us to proac-tively assess potential issues, as well as aid us in providing suitable solu-tions and responses to existing problems. For example, our salespeople and I are able to more easily track accounts receivable for specific customers so that we can address issues be -fore they become past due and affect our branch’s cash flow. From an inventory and pricing perspective, digital tools and technol-ogy have enabled our branches to purchase the correct type and quanti-ties of inventory that will support our custom -ers’ needs as well as a healthy working capital for the branch. The digital analytics have helped us to adjust our pricing lev-els for customers and specific material, which has increased our mar-gin rate. JULIE WYCKOFF Director of Communications, Turtle & Hughes, Linden, N.J. ➔ The implementation of new technologies across Turtle gives us an oppor-tunity to evaluate and improve our existing processes. In most cases, these processes are digi-tized, making it easier to build efficiency and make enhancements. Being able to evaluate even success-ful technology implemen-tations and improve on them are key. For example, digitizing processes has made a significant improvement in the ease of tracking our data, allowing us to publish an annual ESG Report featuring more quantitative metrics that tell our story of sustain-ability. We are able to report on kilowatt hour and dollar savings for our customers who invest in lighting and energy up -grades, as well as provid-ing updates on our own progress toward waste and energy reduction. Technology allows us to obtain and store this data in a way that is simple to access and update, mak-ing reporting our prog -ress toward ESG goals that much easier.Improve existing processes.√√√A-49,50,51,52,53.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:51 PM Page 53

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54 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comThe Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryMAUREEN BARSEMA Industry Principal, Enable, Madison, Wis. ➔ Data is a company’s truth; it doesn’t lie. Being centered on our truth allows us to be informed, smart, proactive, with focused-oriented, top and bottom-line growth initia-tives. Before, we went with our gut, taking a temperature on how busy we were with revenue climb, rather than taking a temperature on our margin and profitability climb. It humbled our efforts and we relearned how to be more success-ful based on what our data tells us: our truth. JANELLE BLAZEJEWSKI Marketing Manager, Electri-Flex, Roselle, Ill. ➔ In marketing, I use it often to track campaign success. Without data, how will I know if the content I create is res-onating with our audi-ence, if a new product launch helps propel sales, or if our digital market-ing is attracting interest through clicks or opens? Data and analytics are the way of measuring success or failure; it’s a way of knowing and proving your activities work. Without it, you are essentially driving blind. So, as a company, we use it to steer our business toward contin-ued success and those positive KPIs. KIM DOWNS Director of Marketing and Business Development, Schaedler Yesco Distribu -tion, Harrisburg, Pa. ➔ Data is critical to the marketing function. More, better, and faster! Un -derstanding our cus-tomers and their needs helps us share product information, service solu-tions, and best practices, assisting them in meeting their project and profit -ability goals. JACOB GERSTENBERG Buyer II, NorthEast Electrical, Brockton, Mass. ➔ We recently brought on a customer data analyst whose primary job is to try to find trends within buying patterns of cus-tomers as well as offer-ing additional products that might be recom-mended with their pur-chase. There is also a lot of analysis with his-torical, current, and pro-jected data for multiple pricing matrices. TYLER IHRY Regional Procurement Manager, Border States, Brooklyn Park, Minn. ➔ We are on a journey to using data and analytics to help us make most of our business decisions of the future. From oper-ational metrics in our warehouse to any others —including, but not limited Data does not lie.How is your company using data analytics to be better?√√√A-55,56,57,58.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 5:21 PM Page 54

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 55The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryStandard Electric Supply consistently analyzes our historical ERP data and, combined with customer forecasts, adjusts stock levels to meet the dynamic market demand. —DANIEL KNAPP Director of Sales, Southern Wisconsin, Standard Electric Supply, Milwaukee 03/ PROGRESSto, supply chain perfor-mance, pricing, inventory, demand, customer rela-tionship, etc. We are putting data in the hands of our employees to make great decisions. BROCK KLEIN, Director of Sales and Marketing, Electri-Flex, Roselle, Ill. ➔ Sales/marketing lever-ages our CRMs and BI Tool to better understand our customers’ buying habits, market share, opportunities, and how to attract our target audience. Operationally we had to utilize our data and analytics to keep on top of raw mate-rial changes and when and how to adjust our pricing to the market. We now have the tools ready to forecast infla-tion, deflation, cost im -pacts, and supply chain impacts much quicker than ever before. FARRAH MITTEL President, Schaedler Yesco Distribution, Harrisburg, Pa. ➔ We’ve been in the elec-trical business for 99 years, and many things have changed. While we’ve always used data to make decisions and plan our next steps, the change is the speed at which we can act. Real-time data allows us to pivot quickly, efficiently address situations, de-velop solutions, and move forward. Plus, as an inde-pendent distributor, we are more nimble than sig -nificantly larger organiza-tions that may be faced with analysis paralysis before proceeding with the next steps. Our rapid response is what allows us to provide an excellent customer experience. MICHAEL OFAK Purchasing Manager, Schaedler Yesco Distribution, Harrisburg, Pa. ➔ A few years ago, we invested in a business intelligence tool and that investment has helped nearly every department see actionable data at a few clicks, ensuring we make good decisions based on data. Actionable data is key. Most sys-tems can provide all sorts of data, but it must be presented in a way where decision makers can understand it easily and make meaningful improvements in the business, and for us the BI tool was the solution. JAYNE WILKS Marketing Manager, CANTEX, Forth Worth, Texas ➔ CANTEX is constantly working to update and improve our data to improve our digital cus-tomer experience and meet the guidelines for Google’s latest algo-rithms, which now rate the customer experience of websites. Today, cus-tomer experience is so important to search engine optimization, so we want to make sure Faster response, better experience.√√√A-55,56,57,58.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:57 PM Page 55

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The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the Industry56 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comAt Halco we have focused on turning our data analytics into “actionable intelligence.” Each department focuses on how we can utilize the information and turn it into identifying exceptions or the key items to focus on vs. having to decipher entire populations of data. —CHRIS CHICKANOSKY CEO, Halco Lighting Technologies, Norcross, Ga. 03/ PROGRESSour data is first-rate and our website content is engaging so our cus-tomers are pleased and our products can be found online. BRANDON DAY Vice President of Products, Services, and Marketing, Werner Electric Supply, Appleton, Wis. ➔ Incorporating the use of data and analytics throughout our organiza-tion was imperative due to our customers having more buying options than ever before. Deriving meaningful insight from the data has allowed us to understand our cus-tomers and their buying habits, make informed business decisions, improve forecasting accuracy, and create process efficiencies. Understanding marketing trends and gaining cus-tomer intel improves our day-to-day operations and is vital to our future success. JOE FLYNN President, Alloy LED, Emeryville, Calif. ➔ We are constantly collecting data, but to make it useful, the data needs to be consoli-dated and accessible to identify trends, see pat-terns, and ultimately improve the company. At Alloy LED we are currently making large strides to consolidate our business systems and the data these sys-tems produce, so that we will have an even higher-resolution view to help manage our business going forward. KEVIN REED Director of Purchasing and Data Analytics, Paramont EO, Woodridge, Ill. ➔ We invested in an overlay program to better mine data. We can spot client buying habits and what they do and do not buy from us, along with how frequently they need certain items. It not only allows us to cater our stock better toward their needs, but also gives us a pathway for conversa-tion as to why they do not support us in a cer-tain segment. JAMES GOLANDO Director of Marketing, Warshauer Electric Supply, Tinton Falls, N.J. ➔ Companies at all points in the electrical supply chain need fast access to data to drive their busi-Aim for top-notch website content.√√√A-55,56,57,58.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:57 PM Page 56

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 57The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryWiseway Supply has always used what data we had available to help us run Wiseway Supply. Today, there are so many additional ways to find data, slice and dice/analyze data. We try to identify the few things that help guide us to more business and solutions to help us run Wiseway Supply better. —JOHN CAIN President and CEO, Wiseway Supply, Florence, Ky. 03/ PROGRESSness systems and use data analysis to improve products, services, and performance objectives. In the midst of all of this technology and opportu-nity, distributors must find new ways to in -crease visibility and value to retain or attract new customers. Frequent data reporting provides man-agement with the current view on many processes that help our company and customers grow. PARIVASH JAMEJAM Quality Manager, DMF Lighting, Carson, Calif. ➔ DMF’s quality manage-ment department leans on data analytics with weekly/monthly report-ing. Our goal is to elevate product quality, so DMF is synonymous with on-site reliability, and over the past five years, DMF’s return rates have been less than 1%. I joined the company in 2017 after a career in the medical in -dustry. There’s no room for error in medical man-ufacturing, so I’ve set a high bar for my team. JULIE WYCKOFF Director of Communica -tions, Turtle & Hughes, Linden, N.J. ➔ Using big data and analytics gives us a com-petitive edge by enabling us to respond to our cus-tomers quicker and more accurately. We can better understand customer requirements and provide actionable insights that facilitate productivity gains. Internally, Turtle relies on data to bench-mark and quantify prog -ress toward goals—automating processes for our workforce, becoming more sustain-able, hiring and retaining top talent, and giving back to our communities. BILL MANSFIELD Senior Vice President-Strategy and Business Development, Graybar, St. Louis ➔ Graybar uses data and analytics to not only understand the past, but also, more importantly, to anticipate the future. We constantly analyze vast amounts of data from various sources, using intelligent tools that allow us to visualize trends, model scenarios, and predict outcomes with a high degree of accuracy. This allows us to take proactive steps to en -hance the customer experience, improve our business, and sustain our growth. STEVE SASS Director of Sales Operations, Viking Electric, Minneapolis ➔ Viking Electric uses Sonepar Sales Manager, a sales management and reporting tool, to help us understand our custom -ers’ buying behaviors and gain market share. It pro-vides our sales team with a more holistic view of Rely on data to hire the best.√√√A-54,55,56,57,58.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:33 PM Page 57

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58 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comThe Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryWe have a history of mining data to uncover insights into our business. Some of our initiatives have included: supplier and customer net profitability models, product pricing initiatives, and utilizing bid vs. buy data. This year we will focus on automating manual processes to increase efficiency and eliminate routine data maintenance tasks. —GEORGE VORWICK & SUSAN KERNER President and CEO (Vorwick) & Director of Data Analytics {Kerner), United Electric Supply, Wilmington, Del. 03/ PROGRESSour customers, customer segments, digital chan-nels, and vendor metrics and helps our sales asso-ciates to make data- driven decisions and bet-ter understand where sales opportunities exist. At the same time, we are very interested in capturing the voice of our customers. With this in mind, Viking Electric of -fers an online tool that customers can use to provide feedback directly to our company. The in -formation is housed in a database that allows us to sort, manage, and ana-lyze the data received from our customers. We are then able to identify positive and negative ser-vice trends, make any adjustments to existing service levels, add new service offerings, and improve the overall cus-tomer experience. Viking Electric also offers a variety of online and digital services that allow customers to be more efficient and more accurate by enabling online quotation, order entry, and job manage-ment. These tools are available 24/7 because we recognize that our customers’ needs extend well beyond the typical workday. Most recently, Viking Electric unveiled a propri-etary Digital Job Center that provides customers with a suite of online proj- ect management tools. TAYLOR LOWE WINDHAM Branch Manager, Irby, Pensacola, Fla. ➔ At Irby we utilize data and analytic tools in many ways to drive per-formance and customer experience. Our salespeo-ple and managers have tools such as SSM and CRM to manage and track sales opportunities, as well as monitor in real time customer buy-ing history, sales, margin, AR, and many other data points that can be broken down to the individual electrical item. This en -ables us to strategically create a plan for maxi-mizing profitability and efficiency with specific customers, opportunities, and vendors. From a cus-tomer experience per-spective, our Irby online tool and digital platforms empower our customers to more adeptly browse and order material and provide transparency and real-time information for ongoing projects in our Digital Job Center.Track and manage sales opportunities.√√√A-55,56,57,58.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 4:57 PM Page 58

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 59The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryTYLER IHRY Regional Procurement Manager, Border States, Brooklyn Park, Minn. ➔ At Border States we believe in using data as an asset. High-quality data enables the automa-tion of daily processes and data-driven decisions that guide our strategies and performance for our customers and partners. DAVID ROSENSTEIN President and CEO, CX Connexion, Buffalo Grove, Ill. ➔ Our philosophy at CX since 2015 is “Data as a culture.” JAMES GOLANDO Director of Marketing, Warshauer Electric Supply, Tinton Falls, N.J. ➔ E-commerce has put the importance of good product data front and center for us here at Warshauer. We aren’t trying to build an online e-commerce platform to compete head to head with Amazon or the other elite worldwide electronic commerce sites. Our focus is on creating an easy-to-use online pres-ence for our existing cus-tomers and new cus-tomers who are used to shopping online. Having good data is the key to this success. GEORGE VORWICK AND SUSAN KERNER President and CEO (Vorwick) and Director of Data Analytics (Kerner), United Electric Supply, Wilmington, Del. ➔ Data is a valued asset “produced” via the daily work of business. Like a physical product, data should be secure, inven -toried, and warehoused appropriately. We are implementing disciplined processes, assigning ownership, and life cycle management to harness the immense potential of data to generate unique insights into our business. We will ensure our data is accessible from a sin-gle source of truth, sup-porting collaboration and our culture of continuous improvement. JULIE WYCKOFF Director of Communications, Turtle & Hughes, Linden, N.J. ➔ To effectively manage operations, Turtle estab-lishes baseline data so early detection of issues and opportunities can be addressed. Our philos-ophy is to use our data -sets effectively so the data can begin to tell a story. The more we learn from our data, the better we can ensure we are on the right path to either stay the course or adjust as needed. Quality data empowers business agility—and data agility empowers busi-ness operations. BILL MANSFIELD Senior Vice President-Strategy and Business Development, Graybar, St. Louis ➔ It has been said that data is the new fuel for Secure, inventory, and warehouse your data.Does your company have a “data philosophy,” and if so, what is it?√√√A-59,60,61.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 5:12 PM Page 59

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60 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comThe Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryTo foster a data-centric culture to enable us to understand our customers and their needs better, to drive additional value in our customer and vendor partnerships. —JACOB GERSTENBERG Buyer II, NorthEast Electrical, Brockton, Mass. 04/IDEASbusinesses. Given the immense value of this resource, Graybar’s phi-losophy emphasizes the following: 1. Be disciplined in managing, governing, and securing critical data. 2. Deploy algorithms to automate repeatable processes and remove friction from the sup- ply chain. 3. Ask the right ques-tions; provide relevant insights that are mean-ingful and actionable. 4. Use data to chal-lenge assumptions and see the future in a new way. TAYLOR LOWE WINDHAM Branch Manager, Irby, Pensacola, Fla. ➔ The data philosophy of Irby Electric and our parent company, Sone-par USA, is to manage and protect data as a strategic asset that enables all stakeholders to leverage data to gain actionable business insights and differentiate us in the markets we serve by providing best-in-class digital content across all channels. CHRIS CHICKANOSKY CEO, Halco Lighting Technologies, Norcross, Ga. ➔ Our philosophy is data shouldn’t be reporting; we need to deliver “ac -tionable intelligence” (AI) to our employees, agents, and customers that cre-ates actionable triggers. When we look for a report or data on some-thing, we always ask why they want it and what problem are they trying to solve. Once we have a clear understanding, we turn that into AI reporting to find the issues or trig-gers for them. RHANDI KUCHENMEISTER Purchasing Agent, K/E Electric Supply, Mount Clemens, Mich. ➔ K/E Electric Supply’s long-standing philosophy has been “Make it so...” If a customer wants it, how can we “Make it so”? If it reduces time and expense, both inter-nally and externally, let’s “Make it so”: Make it so every customer contacts K/E first! A seemingly simple upgrade a few years ago was to reduce the keystrokes needed to email a quote to a cus-tomer. It was a project to reduce the time—by mere seconds or keystrokes—that it takes each em -ployee to send a PDF copy of a quote to a cus-tomer. We do this dozens Reduce time, increase efﬁciency.√√√A-59,60,61.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 5:12 PM Page 60

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 61The Electrical Distribution Handbook / How Data Analytics Is Transforming the IndustryData is king. It is foundational to all we do, with the customer experience being the end goal. It will cost us about 10 times more to find new customers than keep current ones happy. Bad experiences = bad business. —MICHAEL HAMMER Corporate Switchgear Manager, Shepherd Electric, Hanover, Md. 04/IDEASif not hundreds of times per day throughout the company, so an hour or two of programming once saved every sales-person seconds on each email forever. Sometimes the simplest upgrades have the greatest impact and this was a sugges-tion by an employee. I would make it a point in 2023 to find out not only the good things your company does, but also the seemingly simple issues your employees and customers deal with on a daily basis. We’ve utilized blind surveys in the past for contractors in our service area to find out where we stand in our area and what we can do better. Also, a simple honest conversation with your employees about their daily frustrations or how to make things sim-pler might lead to in -creased productivity or reduced turnover. No one wants to lose a good em -ployee because six man-agers complain about a TPS report. DENISE KEATING AND ANGELA BARAKS Vice President of Customer Success (Keating) and Director of Data Quality & Standards (Baraks), IDEA, Arlington, Va. ➔ Both manufacturers and distributors should manage their data as a strategic asset. It doesn’t appear on a balance sheet anywhere, but it’s your data that drives everything about your business. Product content drives the full ordering cycle process from find-ing, buying, selling, mov-ing, servicing, and paying for products. Without high-quality product con-tent, all the steps in the order process can be prone to ordering errors, returns, pricing discrep-ancies, and more. Additionally, you can’t make data-driven decisions without good-quality data. You must ensure your data is accu-rate and complete before you can rely on analytics for your data-driven decision-making. The value that your data delivers is in direct pro-portion to the investment that you make in it.Keep current customers happy.√√√A-59,60,61.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/14/23 11:42 PM Page 61

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LIGHT OUTPUT IS IMPORTANT when selecting an LED lumi-naire or replacement lamp. However, it does not tell the whole story of how the luminaire will perform in a space and what impact it will have on users. What is needed is to know how the light is distributed. This information is in the photo-metric report commonly available for specification-grade lighting products and typically found on the catalog sheet. Electrical distributors can use this information in projects where they have a role recommending light-ing products. “When comparing proposed ‘equals,’ distributors should check more than just whether lumens and watts are equal—that only tells part of the story,” said Kristen Mallardi, senior specification sales manager, C&I Sales for Acuity Brands Light- ing. “The photometric charts on manufacturer specification sheets provide a visual of how their fixture distributes light, and this visually shows whether the fixtures in ques-tion would perform equally. The fix-tures shown on the opposite page deliver the same amount of light, but they do it in vastly different ways.” A luminaire’s photometric report should include light output, light dis-tribution, and color and electrical char-acteristics. LED products are tested dif-ferently from traditional lighting. Rather than separately test lamps and luminaires using relative photometry, LED products are tested as integrated devices using absolute photometry. These items are covered in the Illu -minating Engineering Society’s (IES’s) LM79 method. Manufacturer test reports should indicate that LM79 was used and identify the testing lab. Regarding light output, a lumi-naire’s LM79 photometric report may include either total output in lumens or a zonal lumen summary table. This table reveals light output measured in specific zones and then summarizes for all light emitted above and below the luminaire as well as the total. The catalog sheet may also include resulting spacing criteria for placing luminaires so as to maintain a uniform light level in a space. The dis-tance between luminaires is simply calculated by multiplying the spacing criteria by the mounting height, or the distance between the workplane and the bottom of the luminaire. Additional Key Items in the Report The luminous intensity table and polar luminous intensity graph to -gether provide both numerical and visual representations of the lumi-naire’s light distribution. The luminous intensity graph pro-vides a lot of information at a glance. The center indicates the lamp position PRODUCTS / LIGHTINGSOME LIGHT READING Using information in a product’s photometric report to help recommend LED luminaires and replacement lamps. by Craig DiLouie from which one or two shapes may extend to indicate the light pattern. The farther the shapes extend to the edge of the diagram, the higher the intensity of light in candelas. The light pattern with a solid line is distribution from a frontal view of the luminaire (0° to 180°), while the dotted line shows the side view (90° to 270°). If the frontal and side distributions are symmetrical, the result would be a single curve. If we were viewing these shapes three-dimensionally, we would see an irregularly shaped bubble of light. Changing anything—light source, optics, etc.—would likely change the bubble’s shape. Using the polar luminous intensity graph, important information is avail-able at a glance: • Direct or indirect light distri-bution, whether the luminaire is di -rect (light emitted below the horizon-tal axis), indirect (above the axis), or direct/indirect (a mix of the two and to what degree). The images on the opposite page show both luminaires produce both up and down light. • Symmetrical or asymmetri-cal light distribution, whether it is symmetrical (light output is emitted in a roughly equal pattern on both sides of the luminaire) or, as is com-mon with cove lights and similar luminaires, asymmetrical (light out-put is restricted to one side or the other). If the luminaire has symmetri-cal distribution, only half of the curve may be shown. The images on the opposite page show that the luminaire on the top has a symmetrical distribu-tion, while the luminaire on the bot-tom is asymmetrical. • Spot or flood distribution, whether the luminaire has a spot (narrow), narrow or medium flood (fuller pattern with a flatter bottom), or wide flood (wide pattern and pos- sibly a “batwing” shape where peak distribution is on each side of the center instead of direct above or below the luminaire) pattern. On the opposite page, the luminaire on the 62 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comEPEC Lighting takes the product knowledge and sales skills of all of EPEC to create one level detailing lighting and controls.INDUSTRY INFONAED.org/epec-lighting√√√A-62,63,64.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 5:17 PM Page 62

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PRODUCTS / LIGHTING64 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.combottom has a batwing indirect distrib-ution, producing wide flood uplight on the ceiling and a more focused pat-tern down onto the workplane. In spaces where uniformity is desired, batwing distributions are often used as they direct a high intensity of light from the optical axis, maximizing spacing between luminaires. • Likelihood of producing direct glare, based on what direc-tions and angles light is distributed and at what relative intensities. This ensures that a luminaire being consid-ered not only is the most efficient available, but also delivers light with sufficient visual comfort for users. “Visual comfort is all about reduc-ing high-angle brightness, ensuring application uniformity, and managing contrast,” said Mallardi. “The glare zone is the range between 60° and 90° from horizontal. Too much light in that glare zone causes discomfort glare. The photometric file will detail exactly how much light is being deliv-ered in that glare zone.” Accompanying the luminous inten-sity graph is the luminous intensity table, tabular data that enables a more in-depth and detailed analysis of light distribution and its impact on light levels and potential glare conditions using lighting design software. For this purpose, many manufacturers make the data available as download-able standardized electronic files (“IES files”) on their websites. While the luminous intensity graph provides a lot of information, it may take an experienced eye to consider two products as truly equal in lighting performance or a single product as being ideal for the job. For this level of evaluation, the more precise lumi-nous intensity table can be useful. “With LEDs in particular, there can be great differences between optical performance fixture to fixture,” Mal -lardi noted. “Comparing optical per-formance using the polar candela dis-tribution chart from the photometric file tells the most accurate story of fixture performance. Not all indirect batwing distributions are equal. Bat -wings may range from 120° to a full 180° and that could make a huge dif-ference in uniformity and spacing.” Besides light output and distribu-tion, two additional items are covered in an LM79 photometric test report. The first is electrical characteristics: input voltage, input current, and input power, which are used to calculate luminaire efficacy in lumens/W. The second is color characteristics: chro-maticity coordinates, CCT and CRI, and/or color fidelity and saturation metrics covered in IES-TM30. n DiLouie, LC, principal of Zing Com- munications (zinginc.com), is a lighting industry journalist, analyst, marketing consultant, and author. Reach him at cdilouie@zinginc.com.12-MONTH DOLLAR SHARE ENDING DECEMBER 2022CONNECTORS (POWER & GROUNDING) BY MATERIALCONNECTORS (POWER & GROUNDING)—SHARE CHANGE BY MATERIAL 12-MONTH DOLLAR SALES ENDING DECEMBER 2022 VS. ONE YEAR AGO Copper .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. -.3 Aluminum .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... .5 Bronze ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... -.2Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics tracking information is based on sales from a representative sample of full-line electrical distributors located throughout the United States. For more information, call 512-278-5800, email epicorindustryanalytics@epicor.com, or visit www.epicor.com/en-us/business-need/sales-and-marketing/vista-information-services/.AluminumCopperBronze2.3%47.9%49.8%50%40%20%10%0%30%60%√√√A-62,63,64.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/13/23 5:17 PM Page 64

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PLUGGED IN➔Find product training from manufacturers on NAED’s Learning Center: naed.org/naed-learning-center.451. Seamless Data Center Solutions Legrand added two new cable dropout accessories to its Cablofil line: The Basic Dropout mounts at the end of the wire basket cable tray parallel or perpendicular to the tray bottom and snaps into place without hardware; the Stan -dard Dropout offers stronger cable support and creates a seamless transition for cables on the side of the wire mesh tray without cutting. Both join the Universal Dropout, the original product in this line. Learn more at legrand.us. 2. Decora Edge Wiring Devices Leviton’s Decora Edge line of wiring devices enables users to simply push stripped 14-gauge or 12-gauge electrical building wire into a termination port and close a lever that clicks into place, terminating the connection with complete confidence. The line consists of a single pole switch, a three-way switch, and a 15A tamper-resistant duplex outlet. Learn more at leviton.com. 3. CerroMax Light Blue 14/3 and Purple 12/3 Cerrowire brings the power of color to the most com-mon residential NM-B gauges with the introduction of Light Blue jacket for CerroMax NM-B 14/3 and Purple jacket for CerroMax NM-B 12/3. The colors make it easy to instantly tell the difference between 3-conductor and 3-conductor CerroMax NM-B. CerroMax NM-B features SLiPWire tech-nology. Learn more at cerrowire.com. 4. Durable Mounting Flange Solution Stahlin Enclosures’s new mounting flanges for poly-carbonate enclosures can be used in a variety of applica-tions and surface types or in combination with user-added mounting materials and hardware such as Stahlin pole-mount kits or channel. Flanges are available with the enclo-sure or as an accessory kit. Learn more at stahlin.com. 5. Wide Switch Box Orbit’s TGMW switch box is 1⁄4˝ wider than standard 3x2˝ cut-in boxes, making it a good choice for GFCI and other large wiring devices. Featuring eight 1⁄2˝ knockouts, the box is held tightly in place by tigergrip clips and saddle on each side. Learn more at orbitelectric.com. 6. LED Temporary Hi-Pro Work Light Satco | NUVO’s Hi-Pro temporary work light allows users to choose from 7,200 lumens at the 60W setting, 9,200 lumens at 80W, and 11,000 lumens at 100W. It comes with a 25´ power cord and an integrated heavy-duty hook for hanging. Learn more at satco.com.213PRODUCTS / WHAT’S NEW6www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 65√√√A-65.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/15/23 12:10 AM Page 65

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Distributor Doings Agilix Solutions, St. Louis, appointed Darin Harbor as vice president of digital transforma-tion. He joins the company following a 35-year tenure at Rockwell Automa-tion, most recently serving as systems integrators direc-tor, North America. David White, CEO of Border States, Fargo, N.D., will retire on March 31, 2024. He joined the firm in 2016 as an executive vice presi-dent following 17 years at Shealy Elec -trical Wholesalers, most recently as president, until it was acquired by Border States. Jason Seger, president, will become president and CEO on April 1, 2024. He began leading field operations for Border States in 2018 as executive vice presi-dent, regions, and was named presi-dent in 2020. He joined the company as an intern in 1999. Crescent Electric, East Dubuque, Ill., hired Tom Fechter as senior director, industrial sales. He previously served at Werner Electric Supply, where he most recently held the position of vice president of industrial sales. Michael Vitiello has joined Turtle & Hughes, Linden, N.J., as vice presi-dent, national sales manager, of its Elec -trical Distribution division. He was at Eaton for 13 years, most recently serv-ing as business operations manager. John McKenzie, president of Winsup -ply, Dayton, Ohio, retired Feb. 28 after 27 years with the company. He began his career with Win -supply in 1996 and was named presi-dent in 2020. Succeeding McKenzie is Jeffrey Dice. He joined Winsupply in 2004 as a regional finan-cial officer, was named senior vice president for Win -supply’s Shared and Advisory Services in 2016, served as chief information officer from 2018 to 2020, and was named president of Winsupply Equity Group in 2020. Manufacturer Moves At Espen Technology, Melanie Barton has been promoted to regional sales manager, Midwest. She has been with the company for eight and a half years in progressively increasing sales man-agement roles. Also, John Clancy retired from the vice president, national accounts, position. He was previously senior vice president, sales and marketing. Prior to Espen, he held senior sales management roles with lighting manufacturers including Litetronics International, Universal Lighting Technologies, and MaxLite. Laurie Englert was named chief mar-keting officer for Legrand, North and Central America. She brings with her 30-plus years of experience in various market- ing and communi- cation roles, most recently holding marketing director and vice president roles at Milestone AV Technologies and Graco. Service Wire named Brad Edmunds director of sales in the Houston office. He has more than 11 years of indus- try experience as director of business development in industrial markets. Around the Industry Ben Brumfield recently joined AD as president, AD Member Supply. He joins the organization from FyterTech Nonwovens, where he held the posi-tion of senior vice president, global sales and marketing. He also spent more than a decade with ORS Nasco in multiple leadership roles with increasing responsibilities. n66 the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR • Mar. 23 www.tEDmag.comPEOPLE / IN THE NEWS Send your people news items to mbyers@naed.org.Darin HarborDavid WhiteMichael VitielloJohn McKenzieJeffrey DiceLaurie EnglertJason SegerPASSINGS Fred Roessle, 96, former owner, president, and CEO of A-B Electrical Supply (later sold to Turtle & Hughes), Whippany, N.J., died Jan. 23. He was an active NAED board member in the late 1970s and 1980s and retired in the early 1990s. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, and their six children. Fred RoessleBrad Edmunds√√√A-66.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/16/23 10:18 AM Page 66

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www.tEDmag.com Mar. 23 • the ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR 67To request free information on the products and/or services offered by tED advertisers, visit the URLs below. ADVERTISER WEBSITE PAGE American Lighting americanlighting.com 15 Atkore/Allied Tube & Conduit alliedeg.us 13 Atkore/Calbond atkore.com/calbond IFC BRK Brands brkelectronics.com 29 Cerrowire cerrowire.com 17 IDEA idea4industry.com/idea-connector 27 Intermatic intermatic.com/arista 21 Juno junolighting.com/retrobasics 7 Keystone Technologies keystonetech.com 1 Leviton Manufacturing leviton.com/distributor 11 NAED/CEP naed.org/cep 63 NAED/Corporate Partnership naed.org BC NAED/Economic & Industry Sector Outlook naed.org/outlook 36, 37 NAED/EPEC + CEP naed.org/epec; naed.org/cep 32 NAED/Leveraging Data naed.org/program-enrollments 38 NAED/National Meeting naed.org/national-meeting 40 Orbit Industries orbitelectric.com 19 SATCO satco.com 5 tED magazine/30 Under 35 tEDmag.com/30under35 24 tED magazine/Best of the Best tEDmag.com/best 31 tED magazine/lightEDmag.com lightEDmag.com 35 tED magazine/Trailblazer tEDmag.com/trailblazer 8 Wheatland Tube/Zekelman wheatland.com 3 ADVERTISERS / INDEXtED (ISSN 1067-3806) is published twice monthly by the National Association of Electrical Distributors, Inc., for the information of its members and those manufacturers interested in selling through the electrical distributor. Publication ofﬁce: 1181 Corporate Lake Drive, St. Louis, MO 63132. Phone (314) 991-9000. Free digital subscrip tions available at tEDmag.com/subscribe. √√√A-67-IBC-ad index.qxp_UpFront redesign.qxt 2/15/23 1:06 PM Page 67

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