Canadian Electrical Wholesaler is published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with support from the EFC
Volume 2 • Issue 15

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

Looking reality in the face

No one would want to build their professional life on illusions and hope that the future will live up to expectations. In this issue we have several articles encouraging us to think about preparing for the future, including how EFC is adding value for today's and tomorrow's members, and how CEDA faced similar challenges almost 50 years ago. Sean Dunnigan comes at it from another perspective: how the industry can encourage Millennials to sign up. They're here, they're being educated — some through our scholarships — they're ready to join us, and now it's up to us to accommodate them. Good reading!

Line Goyette
Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com

CHANGING SCENE

Julia Blasl Julia Blasl Wins EFC Scholarship in Memory of Kerrwil Founder J.W. Kerr
Kerrwil is thrilled to announce that is awarding the J.W. Kerr Continuing Education Scholarship Award to University of Windsor student Julia Blasl. With consistent and solid achievements in her marketing and business studies, Julia aims to pursue a marketing position where she can leverage her natural creativity in the tactics of a discipline that addresses everything from segmentation to product development and promotion...
Kevin Korecki Liteline Corporation Appoints Kevin Korecki as Online Business Manager
Kevin Korecki brings his passion for enhancing the sales and customer service experience to his new position as Liteline Corporation's Online Business Manager…
Ehrc Mackinnon EHRC Names 2015 Leader of the Year Award
Don MacKinnon, President, Power Worker's Union has been named Electricity Human Resources Canada's winner of the Award of Excellence for Leader of the Year. MacKinnon has been a leading figure in Ontario's electricity industry for almost 30 years…

Opinion

Not Your Typical Industry Association

By Jim Taggart
EFC Group We need to stop operating Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) as a traditional industry association, we need to start thinking of ourselves as a consultant offering professional services to our members. The real purpose of EFC is to help give members an edge, so that they can sell more product, and keep members informed of changing regulations and legislation, so that they will stay out of trouble. This is why EFC has enhanced and is expanding service in the following areas… Read More

Best Practices

Customer Service: A Key to Success

By Paul Eitmant
Customer Service Smile I was visiting with an old friend who has also been in our industry for more years we like to admit, because we always state that things have changed and it's different from when we stated in the industry 40 plus years ago. However, one thing that has not changed, that is one of the core values that makes a company stand out against its prospective competitors, is how we treat our ultimate end user/customer. Here are five best practices that any business can use. Read More

Millennials

A Living Wage for Millennials and the Sales Gap

By Sean Dunnigan
Millennials Wages A living wage has become a hot topic this election season, especially among young voters. It is easy to see why: inflation-adjusted tuition fees rose from $2,243 in 1991 to $6,610 in 2013. Yet between 2000 and 2011, the wage gap between those with bachelor degrees and those without narrowed. Students are graduating with high levels of debt and seeing diminishing returns on their investment. The electrical industry is poised to take advantage of this situation. Read More

Peers & Profiles

Electrical Wholesalers Edmonton Ltd. (EWEL)

EWEL Being Edmonton's best independent electrical distributor is EWEL's ongoing goal. The privately owned company, specializing in residential, commercial and electrical products, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The company prides itself on nimbleness, catering to their customers' needs and reacting to market conditions and requirements quickly and efficiently. "Our inventory and service comes from 40 years of being here and knowing the people," says Terry Black, one of the company's principals. Read More

Predictive Technology

How Distribution Is Seizing Control of Its Destiny

By Tyson Leal
Distribution Destiny When a supply chain snaps, distribution is always the group that pays the price. Though distribution personnel have little control over the events that cause supply disruptions, they bear the burden and responsibility of attempting to manage the situation. They're caught in a never-ending tug-of-war, constantly working to balance the mercurial forces of supply and demand in an effort to minimize business disruptions and customer dissatisfaction. At the root of this struggle? A lack of information. The answer: incorporating live data and predictive analytics that manage elements of the supply chain not previously thought possible. Read More

Looking Back

Committee Studies Combines Act - 1969

EWEL The pros and cons of joining the Canadian Electrical Association were first considered in 1969: no firm decision was made. Membership was purchased in the Canadian Tax Foundation. Federal combines legislation imposed at the time was proving burdensome and impractical, so a committee was set up. To aid the General Manager in determining his duties and responsibilities, the Board drew up numerous recommendations. These included… Read More

Economic Outlook

Global Economic Growth Will Soon Improve, Says NEMA Economist

Timothy Gill Despite having emerged from the Great Recession more than six years ago, growth in the U.S. economy is still subdued, casting a shadow of uncertainty over homegrown electrical manufacturers and component suppliers. Where to invest time and resources in business development and where to hold back are, therefore, important questions that National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Deputy Chief Economist Timothy Gill may address at a Chicago event. "Our sense is that we may be seeing the worst of it right now," Gill says. "We certainly don't expect to see boom times, but we do see industrial production growing at a stronger pace over the next few years…" Read More

Economy

New Housing Construction Up 0.5% in July

Economy New Housing Spending on new housing construction was $4.2 billion in July, up 0.5% from the same month a year earlier. Nationally, the gain came from higher investment in apartment and apartment-condominium building construction, which increased 17.5% to $1.4 billion and also, to a lesser extent, in row house construction, which rose 6.3% to $395 million. Read More

Energy

Energy Demand Dips 2.9% in July

Economy Power Stats Demand for electricity in Canada totalled 40.8 million megawatt hours (MWh) in July, 2.9% lower than July 2014. Reduced demand pushed generation levels down 0.9% from the same month a year earlier to 46.3 million MWh in July, led by nuclear and steam conventional generation. Electricity exports increased 7.5% to 6.1 million MWh in July, with higher deliveries from British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Read More

Canadian Electrical Wholesaler is published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with support from the EFC
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