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March EW Web News

Apr 17, 2002 12:00 PM

Eastern Distributing Named One of First Independent Distributors of ITI Security Products
ITI, a General Electric Interlogix company, has chosen Eastern Distributing to be one of its first independent distributors of its security products line. As an ITI distributor, Eastern Distributing will market the full ITI product line including the Concord and Simon flagship products. Until recently, ITI products were sold strictly through a dealer direct program. Now, the ITI product line is available through independent distributors like Eastern Distributing. By bringing on ITI, Eastern now becomes one of the largest independent distributors of security products in the nation.
"This gives us a product line that makes us one of the stronger independents in the marketplace," said Nick Scarane, Eastern Distributing's Vice-President of Sales.
Scarane said this also makes it easier for ITI to get their products to its dealer base. "The biggest challenge in the past was that ITI products had to be shipped directly from their factory in Minnesota -- now their products are more easily accessible for the existing ITI clients as well as for prospective new customers."

PurchasePro Reports March e-Source Results; Sees $193 Million Cross Network During Month
PurchasePro customers held 135 reverse auctions in March using its e-Source strategic sourcing solution, compared with 201 in February.
Low bids totaled $110 million, against opening bids of $161 million, for an implied savings of $51 million or 32 percent. In February, low bids were $37 million, against opening bids of $75 million, for a market spread of $38 million or 51 percent.
In March 12 companies held reverse auctions, attracting 2,663 bids from 672 suppliers. In February 11 companies attracted 2,424 bids from 794 suppliers.
PurchasePro said the change in raw auction numbers reflects normal seasonal variations in procurement.
PurchasePro also said 20,000 purchase orders, valued at $32 million, crossed its commerce network in March, compared with 26,800, worth $28 million, in February.

Standard Electric expands into Connecticut with acquisition of B&B Electric

Standard Electric, Wilmington, Mass., has expanded its presence into Connecticut with the purchase of B&B Electrical Supply, Putnam, Conn. Standard Electric, with 10 locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island — and one in California — has 250 employees and is among the top 50 on Electrical Wholesaling magazine's 2001 “250 Biggest” listing.
With this purchase, Standard Electric gains two new locations: B&B's Putnam, Conn., and Southbridge, Mass., locations. B&B has 14 employees and does approximately $4 million in annual sales.
Although Standard Electric Supply services some businesses in Connecticut, this will be the company's first location in the state.
“We didn't have any branches in that area,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of marketing for Standard Electric. “That's our first physical presence in Connecticut. The Southbridge location is probably about 30 minutes away from our branch in Worcester.”
Schaefer said that the companies were not extremely competitive, though they shared some of the same customer markets. The companies are both involved with commercial, industrial and contractor business. Standard also services the telecommunications and retail lighting markets.
Walter “Skip” Popiak, president of B&B Electrical, said that competition wasn't a factor. “I think they just looked at us as a good branch acquisition,” he said.
For Standard Electric, this acquisition will open up the company to some new markets in New England, Schaefer said.
“It gives us an opportunity to go a little farther west into central Massachusetts, and further south into Connecticut. It puts us in a different position to be able to strategically take advantage of some of the other businesses (in those areas),” he said.
Geography is a key factor in Standard's acquisition strategy, according to Schaefer.
Schaefer said that B&B's original personnel are still in place and that Popiak will continue on as the Putnam branch manager.

Hunt Power announces plans to acquire E-MON to bolster meter business

In a move that will broaden its reach from utilities to end users at commercial, industrial and institutional installations, Hunt Power L.P., Dallas, has acquired E-MON Corp., Langhorne, Pa., one of the largest manufacturers of submetering equipment.

E-MON, with 36 employees, manufactures electric meters and other energy hardware, software and services for the electric submetering industry. E-MON has more than 3,000 distributors supported by 29 independent sales representative agencies. Historically, E-MON's focus has been on providing metering solutions to end users at apartment complexes, factories, airports and other buildings that need power usage or the power consumption of tenants monitored.

Hunt Power provides solutions in the electric industry in traditional IPP generation, distributive generation, metering and information.

Appleton upgrades national warehouse with state-of-the-art logistics software system
Appleton, a manufacturer of electrical products for hazardous and non-hazardous locations, is finalizing implementation of a cutting-edge logistics software system in its Memphis, Tennessee national warehouse.
The new system will provide Appleton personnel, as well as the company's representatives and distributors, real-time access of order information and inventory flow as a way of improve customer service and overcome inter-enterprise management challenges.
"We have thoroughly modernized our national warehouse so that we have visibility of critical logistics information up and down the supply chain," said George Mulligan, Vice President Sales Operations, EGS Electrical Group, who noted that the system is currently available to Appleton's customer service representatives, manufacturer representatives and field engineers.
Mulligan expects Appleton distributors will have access to the system in the very near future.
For more information, contact Appleton, EGS Electrical Group, 7770 Frontage Road, Skokie, Illinois 60007. Phone, (847) 679-7800.

Universal Lighting Technologies Announces Manufacturers’ Representative Awards at NEMRA
Universal Lighting Technologies, a leading manufacturer of electronic and magnetic ballasts, announced its Manufacturers’ Representative of the Year Awards at the recent NEMRA Annual Conference at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel, Dallas, Texas.
“Universal Lighting Technologies recognizes the importance of manufacturers’ representatives in the success of our business,” said Michael Velker, vice president of distribution sales. “We wanted to reward and thank them for their dedicated work with our first annual ULTimate Achievers Awards reception.”
Burrus & Matthews Inc. was recognized as the Firm of the Year and received a crystal globe and $10,000. Bray Sales LLC, Des Moines, Iowa, also was recognized and received an ULTimate Achiever Award and $2,500.
Ken Porter, sales representative for John Shannon McGee Co., Whittier, Calif., was named Outside Salesperson of the Year and was presented with a marble globe and Rolex watch. Also, the following representatives were recognized for Outside Sales and received an ULTimate Achiever Award and $500 cash:

Dick Bray, Bray Sales LLC, Des Moines, Iowa.
Ron Fetzer Sr., F & M Electric Sales Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.
Gerald Miller, Burrus & Matthews Inc.

Pat Ferring, sales representative for Bray Sales LLC, Des Moines, Iowa, was named Inside Salesperson of the Year and received a marble globe and $2,000. Also, the following representatives were recognized for Inside Sales with an ULTimate Achiever Award and $500 each:

Bob Church, United Electrical Sales, Ltd., Orlando, Fla.
Suzanne Ezell, Burrus & Matthews Inc.
Desiree Snyder, F & M Electric Sales Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.

Roth-Mooney Electrical Agency Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., received an ULTimate Achiever Award for outstanding effort in sales promotion.

IEC Atlanta Chapter Bestows Member of the Year Honor Upon Tibs Group CEO Mark Tibbetts
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Atlanta chapter of the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) named Mark Tibbetts Member of the Year. Tibbetts is CEO of Tibs Group, Inc., a single-source provider of electrical services, power quality solutions, and technology solutions based in Suwanee, Ga.
“Because of Mark’s guidance and determined efforts, our IEC chapter has a certified low voltage apprenticeship training program,” Niel Dawson, Executive Director for the IEC Atlanta and Georgia Chapters, says. Tibbetts’ selection as Atlanta’s IEC Member of the Year is grounded in “his guidance and leadership,” according to Dawson.
“Especially in today’s climate of volunteerism, Tibbetts and his company represent the epitome of such American spirit,” IEC Executive Vice President Bill Mathisen said.
A strong IEC supporter, Tibbetts and a crew from the Tibs Group donated both time and materials to build a low voltage training lab at the chapter’s Atlanta headquarters. Tibbetts, who serves nationally on the IEC’s Data-Communications Committee, also donated time and materials to set up the association’s showcase technology room in the new IEC National office in Alexandria, Va.
"I feel lucky to be associated with the people I work with at Tibs and the IEC who continue to pour their hearts, time and talents into their efforts,” Tibbetts says. “It's an honor to be recognized and fun to participate in the success of these initiatives.”
Tib’s commitment to the community is not limited to IEC. Last year, Tibs Group prepared approximately 80 1.5-megawatt generators and shipped them to New York to provide power for buildings that lost electricity as a result of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. According to Tibbetts, the impact of the explosions and collapse of the buildings caused major problems to New York's complex underground electrical system within the immediate and adjoining blocks of the World Trade Center. The generators that Tibs Group prepared offered backup power sources for these facilities.
Tibbetts said the following in a press release on September 19th: "We at Tibs want to help in some way. We've seen the tragedy on television, and it makes you feel helpless. We took the call around 9:30 a.m. that Tuesday morning from GE asking us to prepare. With this project, we can feel like we are contributing.”
Tibbetts also said, “Our staff left their families at a very difficult time, worked all hours of the night and completed the work with a great attitude. It is an honor to take part in such a special assignment and experience what this country is really made of. It's all about people!"
A strong believer in apprenticeship programs, Tibbetts felt honored in late 2001 when Tibs Group employee Larry King was selected from the nation’s 11,000 apprentices as the IEC National Electrical Apprentice of the Year.
Tibbetts himself began as an electrical apprentice, working at the family company during school breaks -- in estimating, engineering, project management and sales management before becoming CEO in 1996. He has served on IEC committees both locally and nationally and is a Registered Communication Distribution Designer (RCDD). Active in the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Tibbetts was a finalist in the Chamber’s Small Business Person of the Year award in 2000. A graduate of West Georgia College, Tibbetts is married with two children. Standard Electric expands into Connecticut with acquisition of B&B Electric

Standard Electric, Wilmington, Mass., has expanded its presence into Connecticut with the purchase of B&B Electrical Supply, Putnam, Conn.

Standard Electric, with 10 locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island — and one in California — has 250 employees and is among the top 50 on Electrical Wholesaling magazine's 2001 “250 Biggest” listing.

With this purchase, Standard Electric gains two new locations: B&B's Putnam, Conn., and Southbridge, Mass., locations. B&B has 14 employees and does approximately $4 million in annual sales.

Although Standard Electric Supply services some businesses in Connecticut, this will be the company's first location in the state.

“We didn't have any branches in that area,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of marketing for Standard Electric. “That's our first physical presence in Connecticut. The Southbridge location is probably about 30 minutes away from our branch in Worcester.”

Schaefer said that the companies were not extremely competitive, though they shared some of the same customer markets. The companies are both involved with commercial, industrial and contractor business. Standard also services the telecommunications and retail lighting markets.

Walter “Skip” Popiak, president of B&B Electrical, said that competition wasn't a factor. “I think they just looked at us as a good branch acquisition,” he said.

For Standard Electric, this acquisition will open up the company to some new markets in New England, Schaefer said.

“It gives us an opportunity to go a little farther west into central Massachusetts, and further south into Connecticut. It puts us in a different position to be able to strategically take advantage of some of the other businesses (in those areas),” he said.

Geography is a key factor in Standard's acquisition strategy, according to Schaefer.

Schaefer said that B&B's original personnel are still in place and that Popiak will continue on as the Putnam branch manager.

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