Going back to the early days of the National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA), Tarrytown, N.Y., Electrical Wholesaling has always been a strong supporter of the cause of the independent manufacturers' rep. In those days, NEMRA co-founders Dick Noel and Tom Preston were frequent and welcome visitors in the magazine's New York offices. That close relationship between Electrical Wholesaling and NEMRA continued when Hank Bergson took the reigns at the association in 1986.

Independent manufacturers' reps have always been an important part of the magazine's editorial focus. To expand on this foundation, starting with this month, the magazine will offer a department where reps and their vendors can find out what's new in neck of their neighborhood. This month's department will offer a glimpse of what's happening with NEMRA, as well as two other trade associations for independent manufacturers' reps: Manufacturers Agents' National Association (MANA), Laguna Hills, Calif.; and Electronic Reps Association (ERA), Chicago, Ill. In the coming months, you will also read profiles on several innovative manufacturers reps, including Hugh M. Cunningham Inc., Dallas; Bell and McCoy Inc., also in Dallas; and Allied Group Sales, Phoenix.

If you have any ideas, news or other information that you would like to see in Reps' Corner in the future, please contact Jim Lucy, Editor, Electrical Wholesaling at jlucy@primediabusiness.com.

At Hugh M. Cunningham, David Cunningham, president and CEO, manages a rep agency that focuses on several distinct market segments both inside and outside the electrical industry, including flow control, fire and water, plumbing and mechanical, as well as traditional electrical products. The 110-employee company targets these market segments with separate sales forces and centralized back-office operations.

The profile on Bell and McCoy will explore how W.E. “Buddy” Binyon and the company's principals position the firm with strategic market planning and other state-of-the-art management philosophies.

In the article on Allied Group Sales, you'll learn how Don Kaminski and Dave Mehrer are building an agency that banks on finding, motivating and keeping talented salespeople and nurturing vendor relationships.

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