If you want to get a feel for the sales opportunities available from the ARRA, invest some time exploring the following websites.

A must visit for information on ARRA funding.

Visit daily to see what contracts are available. Just type in the NAICS codes for electrical distributors (423610) and electrical contractors (238210) into the advanced search engine.

The General Services Administration's purchasing site for government agencies.

The U.S. Department of Defense's primary purchasing and distributing unit.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has $36.7 billion in ARRA funds to spend.

At www.hubbelllighting.com/stimulus_act, Hubbell Lighting offers detailed information on ARRA requirements and the company's products that meet ARRA's confusing “Buy American” stipulations.

In an area of its website devoted to federal stimulus spending, www.eaton.com/EatonCom/ProductsServices/Recovery, Eaton offers some tips on ARRA's Buy America provision and information on Eaton products that comply. Jim Dankowski, federal business development manager, manages Eaton's efforts in this area. He can be reached at JimEDankowski@eaton.com.

www.nema.org offers quite a bit of information about ARRA, particularly the Buy American requirement. Just type “ARRA” into the search engine.

IDEA members should check their country of origin data in the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW) and take advantage of the ARRA-eligible indicator flag for their data. Contact Josh Givens at jgiven@idea-esolutions.com with any questions.

You can get a taste of how other distributors approach this market by visiting their websites. Must-visits include: Graybar (www.graybar.com); W.W. Grainger (www.grainger.com); WESCO (wescodist.com); Border States (www.borderstateselectric.com); Frost Electric Supply (www.frostelectric.com); and Shealy Electrical Wholesalers (www.shealyelectrical.com).

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