Warren Electric Group continues its rapid expansion throughout the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean. Warren was awarded the Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley "area of primary responsibility" (APR) authorization in southeast Louisiana. The company also acquired a large Allen-Bradley distributor in Trinidad and Tobago and formed a joint venture with one of the largest automation distributors in Venezuela.
The Houston, Texas-based group's subsidiary, Warren Electric of Louisiana LLC, Gonzalez, La., now represents Allen-Bradley in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Houma and Morgan City, La. Reily Electric Supply, Metairie, La., previously held the APR for southeast Louisiana, but Rockwell Automation withdrew the authorization after Reily was acquired by WESCO Distribution, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Warren had branches in Lake Charles, Broussard (near Lafayette) and Baton Rouge and a little service center in the New Orleans suburb of Luling. The new authorization will allow Warren to expand considerably in the area, including a new 32,000-sq-ft building in the New Orleans suburb of Elmwood.
Warren Electric Group has also been busy in the Caribbean and South America. In July the company acquired Electrical Construction Materials (ECM), an electrical construction and automation distributor in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Warren also is opening a new location on the other side of the island in Point Lisas.
In Venezuela, Warren Electric has formed a joint venture with one of the largest industrial automation distributors in that country, GE Cami. The joint venture will carry the Allen-Bradley line and operate out of all eight Cami locations under the name C-W (Cami-Warren) joint venture, a Venezuelan entity.