2011 Top 200: What's New?

Allied Wire & Cable Inc., Collegeville, Pa., hired 10 salespeople last year to handle growth. The strategy must be working — CEO Tim Flynn says the company’s sales are up 30 percent so far this year.

Laurence Heimrath, president, G&G Electric Supply, New York, said his company is seeing a nice sales increase from growth in its voice-data-video (VDV) business, specifically audio-visual, alarms and CCTV systems, as well as a healthy market in very high-end residential work. The company also bought iPads for salespeople to enter orders from the road and for truck drivers so they can keyboard delivery information.

KJ Electric Corp., Syracuse, N.Y. is another company that invested in employees and inventory during the recession and is seeing a payoff this year. Ken Jacobs, president, expects a 40-percent surge in sales this year.

Okay, so Cleveland lost Lebron James. But Bruce Leff, president, Leff Electric Co., Brookyln Heights, Ohio, says the market is gaining sales opportunities in the green market. Leff expects a 15-percent increase in 2011 sales, due in part to growth in his company’s energy services business and lighting retrofits. To handle building audits for this lighting retrofit work, salespeople are using iPads. Leff says customers are also asking for information on electric vehicles, solar products and LEDs.

Munro Distributing Co. Inc., Fall River, Mass., is gunning for a 25-percent sales increase in 2011. Scott Munro, CEO, says a large increase in the green market will help support this growth. Munro is also one of the biggest solar players in the electrical wholesaling industry.

State Electric Supply Co., Huntington, W. Va., opened two new branches last year. The company expects the industrial and green market and improving residential market to support a 2011 sales increase of 14% to 18%.

In 2010, United Electric Supply, Wilmington, Del., took market share and invested in the solar market to charge up sales. This year, George Vorwick, CEO, says the industrial market and construction of data centers are up, but that commercial construction is still sagging.

WESCO Distribution, Pittsburgh, sees industrial growth this year and says customers are asking questions about solar projects, LEDs, wind farms, and electric-vehicle charging systems.

Alameda Electrical Distributors, Hayward, Calif., is one of just a handful of Top 200 distributors that expects sales to grow 20 percent or better this year. The company recently completed its acquisition of Central Wholesale Distributors Inc., Livermore, Calif., to expand its geographic reach. Bob LaRue, company president, says alternative energy, as well as lighting and switchgear projects will help fuel the expected growth.

Mike Pratt, CEO, American Electric Supply Inc., Corona, Calif., says 2010 sales increased due to the company’s deeper penetration into the healthcare and IT market industries. He expects 2011 sales to increase 11 percent, in part because public-work projects and private work are starting to pick up.

After a “fairly flat” 2010, Codale Electric Supply, Salt Lake City, Utah, is expecting growth of between 15% and 20%. Jenny Christensen, marketing manager, says industrials are showing growth but that commercial business is still lagging.

Electrical Equipment Co., Raleigh, N.C., opened branches in Charleston, S.C., and Newport News, Va., during first quarter 2011. CFO Harry Albert, Jr., sees improvements in the industrial business and in energy-efficiency projects, but weakness in every other sector.

Jim Newton, president, Horizon Solutions, Rochester, N.Y., sees a 16-percent sales increase in 2011. He said the MRO, OEM and energy markets are improving, but large capital projects and commercial construction are still lagging. Newton says the company is starting to replace laptops with iPads for field salespeople.

Shealy Electrical Wholesalers, West Columbia, S.C., acquired Electro Mechanical Supply Co., Fuquay Varina, N. C., and is looking at a 15-percent increase in 2011 sales.

Springfield Electric Supply Co. Inc., Springfield, Ill., expects growth in education (all levels), healthcare, agri-business, automotive, and data centers to help grow the company’s sales by eight percent. If inflation increases, Greg Lutchka, vice president and CFO says sales growth could be 10% to 11%.

Rick Teaberry, president, Winkle Electric Co. Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, said an increased focus on acquiring additional market share through diligent sales planning and account tracking as well as the general recovery of the economy helped the company increase sales last year. This year he expects a 25-percent increase, due in part to growth in the steel and pharmaceutical markets.

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