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TRADE ASSOCIATIONS & BUYING/MARKETING GROUPS Aug 1, 2002 12:00 PM This handy compilation will be your first-stop reference when searching for information and contacts. The listings provide contact information for industry associations, sources for marketing information related to electrical distribution, consultants and more. INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS American Lighting Association (ALA)ALA offers distributors with residential lighting showrooms and others involved in the home lighting industry a full slate of educational and networking opportunities. AEE is a source for information on energy efficiency, utility deregulation, facility management, plant engineering, and environmental compliance. The group keeps its membership informed through technical seminars, conferences, certification programs and books to critical buyer-seller networking trade shows. AEE's Web site offers job listings, utility news updates and valuable links. Its membership includes 8,000 professionals in 67 local chapters. AESP serves its members by disseminating information about marketing, customer research, energy services technologies, pricing and load profiling. The group has numerous conferences, a quarterly newsletter, weekly industry updates via email, training programs, topical committees, local chapter organizations and various publications. AHTD represents automation solutions providers and manufacturers of industrial automation products. The organization produces a newsletter, directories, profit reports and industry surveys. AHTD also assembles networks of non-competing automation solution providers to facilitate the exchange of ideas and business practices. BICSI was organized to improve the services and methods of the telecommunications industry, primarily through education. It's well-known in the voice/data business for its certification program for installers. BICSI holds design and cabling workshops in North America every year and publishes technical manuals, guides and dictionaries. With a membership of 22,000, its annual expenditures are approximately $14 million. Founded in 1973, this non-profit energy research consortium caters to electric utilities and their customers. Its mission is to provide science and technology-based solutions to its global energy customers by managing a far-reaching program of scientific research, technology development and product implementation. Participation in EPRI's program is open to all organizations involved in the energy industry throughout the world. Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies, international affiliates and industry associates worldwide. EEI works with its members to advocate equitable policies in legislative and regulatory arenas. The Institute provides analysis and critical industry data to its members, congress, government agencies, the financial community and other influential audiences. The Electrical Apparatus Service Association Inc. (EASA) is an international trade organization in the motor market with nearly 2,400 electromechanical sales and service firms in 56 countries. Through its many engineering and educational programs, EASA provides members with a means of keeping up to date on materials, equipment and state-of-the-art technology. EERA's mission is to advance the quality and increase the effectiveness of manufacturers' representatives in the electrical equipment industry. Check out the Web site for a longer list of services and goals. This national, not-for-profit industry association represents more than 225 member companies, key players in the electrical, electronics and telecommunications industries in Canada. Employing more than 130,000 workers in more than 1,400 Canadian facilities, EFC member companies manufacture and distribute a diverse array of products including household appliances, lighting, consumer electronics, communications and electronic equipment, cabling, industrial equipment and other electrical products. This trade association represents more than 1,800 locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Formed in 1988 by a merger of three North American regional associations, IDA's activities focus on all areas critical to managing a distributorship, including operations, sales and marketing, human resources, quality, technology, finance and customer service. Standard products carried are commonly MRO items (maintenance, repair and operations). With its diverse membership of engineers, architects, designers, educators, students, contractors, distributors, utility personnel, manufacturers and scientists, the IESNA's mission is to advance knowledge and disseminate information for the improvement of lighting to the benefit of society. It's been doing that for more than 90 years. Through membership in IEC, open-shop electrical contractors can increase their chances for success in the electrical construction marketplace. IDEA manages the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW) and the IDX2 electronic network for its distributor and manufacturer members. It was created to foster the growth of e-business and related communications standards in the electrical industry and other vertical markets. The IEEE (Eye-triple-E) is a non-profit, technical professional association of more than 377,000 individual members in 150 countries. Through its members, the IEEE is an authority in technical fields such as computer engineering, biomedical technology, telecommunications, electric power, aerospace and consumer electronics. The primary concern of the IAEI is consumer safety. Knowing that mishandled electricity can become extremely dangerous, perhaps even fatal, IAEI and its members are committed to improving design, installation, inspection and usage of energy. In its 111 years, IBEW has worked to support and protect the rights of its unionized electrical contractors. MANA is a trade association for independent manufacturers' representatives that work in many different industries. With a major emphasis on education, MANA's mission is to aid in the development and promotion of mutually profitable relationships, ethical standards of behavior for reps, their principals and joint customers. Since 1908, the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) has served as the trade association for the electrical distribution industry. Dedicated to serving and protecting the electrical distribution channel, this not-for-profit organization provides networking opportunities through approximately 50 meetings and conferences a year, training through the NAED Education Foundation, industry information and research through TED magazine and a marketing campaign for the industry through its Advocacy Initiative. NAESCO has assumed a leadership role in representing the energy services industry in state and federal proceedings on electric utility restructuring and facilitating the use of distributed energy resources. The association provides a slew of benefits to its ESCO members, including its quarterly magazine, The Energy Efficiency Journal, networking opportunities, business partnerships, legislative representation and advocacy. NAHB is a federation of more than 800 state and local builders associations throughout the United States. Its mission is to enhance the climate for housing and the building industry, and to promote policies that will keep housing a national priority. About one-third of NAHB's 205,000 members are homebuilders and/or remodelers. The remainder of the membership consists of associates working in closely related fields — such as mortgage finance and building products and services — within the housing industry. NAILD's mission is to enhance the value of the specialized lighting distributor by creating opportunities for business development and growth through education and member interaction. Founded in 1977 by a small group of lighting distributors, NAILD has grown to well over 180 members. NAW represents the wholesale distribution industry and is active in government relations and political action, research and education, and group purchasing. NAW operates the Wholesaler-Distributor Political Action Committee, the Distribution Research and Education Foundation and the NAW Service Corp. NECA, founded in 1901, represents more than 70,000 electrical contracting firms and includes 119 U.S. chapters in addition to others in countries around the world. Dedicated to enhancing the industry through continuing education, labor relations, current information and promotional activities, it is an important voice in the electrical contracting industry, working to promote higher standards, quality workmanship and training for a skilled workforce. NEMA provides a forum for the development of technical standards, and advocating industry policies on legislative and regulatory matters that might affect the industry. NEMRA, and its affiliate, the NEMRA Manufacturers Group (NMG), is a North American trade association dedicated to promoting the use of independent manufacturers representatives as the most effective way to market products in the electrical industry. It offers its members professional development programs, continuing educational opportunities, guidelines for the development of relationships between manufacturers and representatives, plus a variety of other services designed to enhance their business. During the one-on-one sessions at NEMRA's annual conference, reps can meet with all of their manufacturers in the course of two or three days. NEDA is a not-for-profit association representing distributors of electronic components, computer and computer peripheral components and test, measurement and control equipment parts. NFPA's mission is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training and education. NAAUD members are independent distributors who specialize in supplying products and supply chain services to the electric utility industry. During power outages, the members work together to ship their products to the members in the affected area. Founded in 1960, PTDA is a U.S.-based trade association representing almost 240 power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distributor firms with almost 3,000 locations throughout North America and almost 20 other countries, as well as 200 manufacturers that supply the PT/MC industry. PTDA's mission is to strengthen members to be successful, profitable and competitive in a changing market environment. PEARL membership is offered to those electrical companies that qualify as recyclers, vendors, and associates. The association develops information, networking and other services for the proper recycling and reuse of electrical power equipment. Members set high standards for quality reconditioning and safety. STAFDA is an international trade association composed of distributors, manufacturers, and rep agents of light construction, industrial and related products. Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization that has been testing products for public safety for more than a century. Each year, more than 17 billion UL marks are applied to products worldwide. 2700 Horizon Drive 6009 Oxon Hill Road, Suite 314 PO Box 248 7757 Auburn Road, Unit 27 When you do online research looking for trends in the electrical market, you don't have the time to mess around with search engines that dredge up hundreds of mis-hits and completely extraneous information. Below are Web sites that Electrical Wholesaling's editors have found quite useful when researching this market, trends in distribution or small business growth strategies. Electrical Wholesaling magazinePlease pardon the self-promotion, but EW's editors believe the site's editorial archives, which contain all of the feature articles appearing in the past few years, can help electrical marketers research companies, key trends and other important market statistics. One of the most popular areas of the site is its up-to-date listing of the electrical industry's 250 largest electrical distributors. Sales and Marketing Management magazine's Web siteThis site is loaded with top-quality editorial on sales, marketing and management issues for businesses of all sizes. The site also offers subscription-based online access to the magazine's popular “Survey of Buying Potential” demographic data. Inc. magazine's Web siteAlong with being one of the finest monthly business publications, Inc. runs a dynamite Web site. You can access hundreds of articles on virtually any business topic you can think of, participate in surveys and read current articles. If you are surfing the Web looking for information on running your own business or doing your job better, you can't spend your time much better than visiting Inc.'s Web site. Industrial Distribution magazine's Web siteWhile the information on this site is not always specifically about electrical products or electrical-industry companies, it's packed with information on trends in the distribution business as a whole, industry news and product information. Merrifield Consulting GroupOne of the earliest online information portals in the distribution industry, Bruce Merrifield's site has for years had so much darn good information for surfers interested in broad trends in the wholesale distribution industry that it's well worth the hours of connect time you will probably spend here. The site also offers a ton of articles packed with Merrifield's thoughts on electronic commerce and his observations on sales and marketing trends. Hoover's OnlineIf you are looking for financial data or profile information on a public or private company, visit www.hoovers.com. The site is loaded with data and is easy to navigate. HousingZoneIf you touch the residential market at all, make the HousingZone one of your regular stops on the Web. Designed for building professionals in the housing industry, the site will give you a good flavor of what's new in the housing market. Small Business Association (SBA)This site is loaded with solid information on starting, operating and expanding a small business. To get information from the SBA, your best bet is to go through this Web site. If the main site does not have what you need, contact your local SBA office, which is listed on the Web site. U.S. Census Bureauwww.census.gov/ftp/pub/const/www/index.html When you need statistics on construction or population trends, make this site one of your first visits. It's surprisingly easy to access mountains of data on housing starts, permits and related construction trends. Fed StatsMore than 70 federal government agencies, including the U.S. Census department, can be searched in one stroke from a site called “FedStats” maintained by The Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy. Bizsites' State and Region ReviewsDeveloped by Plants Sites & Parks magazine, this Web site packages information on the business climate in different regions of the United States for companies considering relocation or new facility construction. The nearest Federal Reserve BankThese banks often have excellent regional economic data. To find the Web site of the nearest Federal Reserve, go to the address listed above and click on the map in the appropriate region. LIGHTING inter.LightIf you are looking for a one-stop Web-based resource for information on the lighting industry, go no further. This site has a terrific selection of product information and sources for lighting products. The site has been around for years and continues to be one of the best online lighting resources you will find. www.lightingforthehome.comOperated by interLight.com, one of the largest online lighting resources, this Web site offers design advice and other technical information for residential applications. Lighting Research CenterManaged by staff and students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, N.Y., the Lighting Research Center offers a wealth of technical data on residential lighting, as well as different segments of the lighting field. Design Studiowww.decoratingstudio.com/lighting/lightindex.htm This lighting-design tutorial site highlights design parameters, technologies and lighting terminology. GE Lighting's Virtual Design Centerwww.gelighting.com/na/virtualhouse/home.html In GE Virtual Lighting designer, you can compare different lighting schemes in a house. GE Lighting's Nela Park Lighting Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, is world-famous as a training center. Lightolier's Lessons In Lightingwww.lightolier.com/edu/eduprograms.htm Lightolier's Web site offers a free online training course in the fundamentals of lighting. Don Klipstein's Lighting Info. Sitehttp://misty.com/people/don/light.html This site offers a potpourri of lighting facts, opinions and links. N.E. CODE INFORMATION Mike Holt EnterprisesThis Web site, run by one of the leading N.E. Code authorities in the U.S. will answer many of your questions on the N.E. Code. Your customers will find it to be a valuable resource for information on many areas of running an electrical contracting firm. Joe Tedesco's N.E. Code ViolationsJoe Tedesco, a Massachusetts electrical inspector, is nationally known for his columns on National Electrical Code violations in EC&M and CEE News magazines. To get a flavor for his work, check out this Web site. You won't believe some of the electrical installations that you will see here. Newton's International Electrical JournalThis site is one of the granddaddies of electrical industry Web sites and also one of the best places on the Internet to find technical information such as interpretations of the National Electrical Code. It's a very popular site — Since July 1995, the site's home page has been accessed over 500,000 times. OTHER GOOD RESOURCES Rand McNally Commercial Atlas and Marketing GuideThis book offers a ton of easy-to-find demographic information, as well as the maps of all Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the U.S. It's usually available in a good business library. 2001 Survey of Buying PowerPublished by Sales and Marketing Management magazine, this is one of the bibles in the demographics field. It's packed with local market data, including five-year population growth forecasts. Look for it in the library or pay the $48 for a yearly subscription and online access to this resource. State and Metropolitan Area Data BookPublished by the U.S. Census Department, this handy resource is packed with demographic information. Check www.census.gov/statab/www/smadb.html for more information. Departments of economic developmentAny state in the U.S. actively courting new businesses usually has a Web site with some basic economic information. Chambers of CommerceWhile some chambers of commerce offer little more than the phone numbers of the local Welcome Wagons, others may have the information you need. It's worth a shot, but don't get your hopes up. Local union chaptersWhen looking for employment statistics on the number of electrical contractors in your area, don't forget to check with the local union hall. Local home builders' associationsThese groups often have statistics on housing starts or building permits. The local Board of Realtors may also have this information. Business department of a college or universityYou may be surprised by the amount of data business schools collect on the local economy. It's a mixed bag as to how to access this data. Sometimes it's available for free on the Web; at times it may be a for-pay proposition. It's also often available at the nearest college or university library. BanksYou have a decent chance of finding some free statistics at good-sized banks in your area. Some of them may even offer this information online. Local newspapersMany newspapers do a real nice job of archiving business articles of interest to the local community. Sometimes there is a per-article fee to access a newspaper's database. ManufacturersHopefully, your friendly suppliers are loaded with exactly the type of market data you need. Don't bet on it, but some electrical manufacturers invest a lot of time into researching end-user market potential. CustomersYour salespeople's Rolodexes are probably the best reference sources for forecasting future sales. Good salespeople always keep an ear to the ground for leads on expansion plans or new bids. For sales-potential estimates, they should also find out the number of employees a customer has, and then use the sales potential multipliers available each year in the November issue of Electrical Wholesaling magazine. CONSULTANTSRandy Bliss, YHB Consulting Adam Fein, Pembroke Consulting Inc. Robert Footlik, Footlik & Associates Neil Gillespie and David Gordon, Channel MarketingGroup Ron Landisi and Vince Cassano, Landisi Electrical Consultants Bruce Merrifield, The Merrifield Consulting Group, Inc. Bill McCleave, W.R. McCleave & Associates Michael Marks, Indian River Consulting Wayne Murphy, WTM Consulting Dick Noel, Electrical Management Personnel Inc. Tom O'Connor, Farmington Consulting John Schreibfeder, Effective Inventory Management Inc. George Spilka Scott Stratman, The Distribution Team Inc. Tim Underhill, Underhill and Associates | |
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