Message From The Editor
An emerging leadership of influence
March is a time of year when we emphasize the contribution of women to society, and our industry actively participates in this effort. However, Canada continues to lag behind other developed countries in terms of gender balance in leadership roles. How long will this continue? Many more women than men are graduating from universities and colleges. Less than a quarter of the seats on the boards of directors of listed companies to the Canadian stock market index are held by women, and fewer are in decision-making positions. While we are far from parity, exceptional leaders can still be found in our industry. Often female leadership is associated with change management and influence. We'll talk more about it. This month meet Rachelle Caron, one of these leaders. Also, contributor Jim Taggart welcomes Carol McGlogan, soon to be EFC's new president and CEO. Good reading!
Line Goyette, Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com
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Changing Scene
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Opinion
New EFC President
By Jim Taggart
As I retire from Electro-Federation Canada in May, I am truly optimistic about the future of EFC and know that the association will be in great hands as Carol McGlogan moves into her new role as President & CEO. Carol will play an instrumental role in adapting/transforming this industry association based on changing technologies and the new business environment. If EFC is to represent the Canadian electrical industry, it needs to change. Our EFC Research Committee is determining how low-voltage DC power will change our industry — particularly the channel. Early research findings indicate that…
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Peers and Profiles
Rachelle Caron: a Leader Who Stares Change in the Eye
By Line Goyette
Rachelle Caron, CEO of Westburne, hails from the Gaspé, which might explain why she's both fearless and can see emerging market trends from a mile away. In the changing world of distribution, this is a major asset. Behind her composure is a formidable leader. A chartered accountant by training, Rachelle describes her career as nontraditional. Since assuming leadership at Westburne, she's achieved brilliant success. Read on to learn more.
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Market Opportunities
New Markets: How to Capture These New Opportunities
By Paul Eitmant
I came across an article listing new opportunities for electrical distribution. These products were listed: LED in solid-state lighting control, solar, utility upgrades, electrical vehicles, and IoT (Internet of things). Two of the products identified, LED in solid-state lighting control and utility upgrades, are naturals for most electrical distributors, assuming those distributors that already have a lighting division for solid-state lighting controls and a utility division for the past few years and actually invested time and people were successful.
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Distribution
An Exercise in Questioning Your Sales Compensation Plan
By Frank Hurtte
Some might call it eavesdropping, but we call it our uniquely unscientific methodology for tracking distributor trends. We listen. Plus, we get phone calls, emails and occasional text messages from distributors. When we hear the same topic mentioned more than a dozen times in the course of a month, we know the topic is coming to the surface. For some reason, sales compensation is showing up, repeatedly. Here are a few questions I believe are pertinent to any thinking directed to the topic.
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Looking Back
Technology Will Force Change
"The products we distribute now will change as much in the next few years as cars did between 1974 and 1984. The pistons are still there but just about everything else has changed," says Clare Radis, president and general manager of Electrical Wholesalers (Edmonton) Ltd. "It will take a new breed of salesmen to see the new electronic and computerized equipment coming along, and a new breed of electrician and technician to handle it. Anyone who does not upgrade himself will be left way behind."
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Economy
Statcan Study Shows Steady Decline in Business R&D Spending
Businesses in Canada spent $16.0 billion on in-house research and development (R&D) in 2013, compared with $14.1 billion a decade earlier. However, business sector R&D in 2013 was below pre-recession levels, as the pace of spending in different R&D-performing industries changed significantly after the 2008-2009 recession. Annual in-house spending on industrial R&D by businesses in 2013, measured in current dollars, was about $700 million lower than it was in 2007. From 2007 to 2013, the overall number of R&D personnel employed by businesses in Canada declined 21.1%, reflecting fewer technicians and technologists working in R&D-performing manufacturing and service firms.
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Economy
Q4 Non-residential Building Construction Prices Up 0.6%
The Non-residential Building Construction Price Index was up 0.6% in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter. This was the fifth consecutive quarterly increase and the largest gain since Q2 2014. Contractors reported quarterly increases in six of seven census metropolitan areas surveyed. Year over year, the NRBCPI rose 1.6%, with Vancouver (+5.8%) and Toronto (+3.7%) reporting the largest increases. Edmonton (-2.6%) and Calgary (-1.9%) reported the only year-over-year declines.
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Economy
Investment in New Housing Construction Rose 9.1% YOY in December
Investment in new housing construction rose 9.1% year over year to $4.3 billion in December, reflecting higher investment in all dwelling types. Over 80% of the national advance resulted from higher spending on construction of single-family dwellings, which rose 14.9% year over year to $2.3 billion. Investment in row house construction increased 9.9% to $383 million, while spending on apartment and apartment-condominium buildings went up 1.4% to $1.4 billion. Investment in semi-detached dwellings increased 3.6% to $187 million. Provincially, Ontario and British Columbia recorded the largest year-over-year gains, followed by Quebec.
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In The Next Issue
More on new markets
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The Electrical Stock Market
Track the stock market performance of 25 publicly traded electrical equipment suppliers and electrical wholesalers. Updated weekly.
View Current
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Careers
Time for a Change? New Job Openings
Access the latest job and career opportunities in Canada's electrical industry today. New listings posted regularly.
View Current
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Events Calendar
Training, networking and professional development opportunities for members of Canada's electrical industry.
Energy Connections 2017
March 4, 2017
Vancouver, BC
2017 Electrical Learning EXPO
March 7, 2017
Edmonton, AB
BUILDEX Edmonton
March 21-22, 2017
Edmonton, AB
View all Events
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