Message From The Editor
Time to revise some classics
To continue with our thinking about dealing with customers in the digital age, here are some tools to better convey information about your products and services. The reason is simple, according to our contributor Rick McCarten: it's imperative to understand the needs of your customers' customers, and while universal solutions are practical in theory they need to be adapted to the real needs of your market. Perhaps it is time, as millennial contributor Shoynear Morrison suggests, to use video for transmitting your messages. Distributors are reviewing their transactional sites, and product information is also being used to inform customers. Another sign that times are changing: a mother-daughter duo in the same company. Good reading!
Line Goyette, Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com
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Changing Scene
- AD Reports Record Breaking Member Sales of US$10.2 Billion in Q3
AD, the contractor and industrial products wholesale buying / marketing group, reported sales for all AD members, across 12 AD divisions and three countries, hit a new record during the third quarter of 2017 of US$10.2 billion. Through the first nine months of the year, member sales grew by 11% to US$28 billion. Purchases from AD suppliers grew by 16%...
- Omron Moving and Expanding Montreal Office
Omron Automation Americas announced the grand opening of its expanded and relocated Montreal offices on October 30, 2017. The company will occupy new offices in a Dorval, Quebec business complex. "Our new offices enhance customer interaction with our latest technologies…"
- Danfoss Appoints Richard Hatcher to Head Heating Business Sales
Hatcher's responsibilities will extend throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Mexico and Latin America. Previously Vice President of Sales for Danfoss' HVAC drives business, Hatcher will now be responsible for advancing the company's activities and portfolio for the heating market…
- Viscor Announces New Hires
Viscor Inc. has appointed John Pannunzio as Director of Customer Success and Business Strategy. In this new role, John brings his expertise to ensure an outwardly focused, customer centric view, while creating and restructuring internal processes to suit customer needs…
- Wago Appoints Shaun Nagi as New Regional Sales Manager for British Columbia
Wago North America has appointed Shaun Nagi as Regional Sales Manager for British Colombia. Nagi brings both technical knowledge and a sales background to Wago. He holds a diploma in industrial instrumentation and control and has extensive experience in sales…
- Houle Electric Selects New President
Paul Hill, who will be starting at Houle Electric, one of BC's largest electrical contractors, on February 5, 2018. Paul will take over the role from current president of 20 years, Robert Lashin, who will remain as company CEO and Chair of the firm's board of directors…
- Philips Lighting Shines a Light on Crime Prevention
York Regional Police has partnered with Philips Lighting and Crime Stoppers on a crime prevention campaign to help homeowners. The campaign involves distributing 15,000 Philips LED light bulbs. The goal is to have homeowners replace worn-out exterior lights to increase visibility at night. York Region stretches north from Toronto to Lake Simcoe…
- ABB Optimizing Transformer Manufacturing Footprint to Drive Competitiveness
ABB has strategically realigned its global transformer manufacturing, engineering and service footprint to enhance competitiveness in a dynamic market environment marked by increasing competition and consolidation in the rail industry. The move is part of a "Power Up" transformation program in ABB's Power Grids division…
- Schneider Electric Again Ranked Among Global leaders for Its Action on Climate Change
For the seventh year running, Schneider Electric has been included in CDP's Climate A-List of companies leading the fight against carbon emissions. Only 112 companies worldwide, among nearly 2,500 participants, are selected in this ranking. It recognizes the group's strategy of promoting environmentally and climate-friendly development as an intrinsic driver of business performance…
- SaskPower Testing More Efficient, Longer Lasting LED Streetlights
SaskPower is piloting the use of LED streetlights, which are 40 to 60% more energy efficient than traditional streetlights and require far less maintenance. "We are after the very same qualities that have drawn homeowners to LED technology over the years…"
- E.B. Horsman & Son EFC Scholarship Winners
E.B. Horsman & Son has announced the winners of their scholarships, through the Electro-Federation Canada Scholarship Program. The recipients are Jason Wells, Cody Bessey and Lawrence Chiu. Jason Wells is working towards his Industrial Electrician Diploma at Thompson Rivers University, and is currently apprenticing at Canadian Forest Products…
- Schneider, 3M and Siemens among Canada's Top Employers in 2018
This year's competition saw a record number of employers take part in the selection process, with an increased number of applicants from all regions of the country. Mediacorp editors started by examining the recruitment histories of over 90,000 employers that it tracks for its job-search engine, Eluta.ca…
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Opinion
There Will Always Be a Need for More Service
By Rick McCarten
I was fortunate enough to attend a recent technical meeting that focused on barn fires caused by overheated wires that come into contact with flammable objects. It was noted at this meeting that most of these barn fires occur in Ontario, and 40% are due to human error and environmental factors. Barns are considered hazardous locations. People misuse power, foreign items find their way into panels and switches, and barn environments have a lot of humidity, water and, of course, animals, which create waste and chemicals that can corrode connections. Many of the farmers at this meeting complained that the hazardous-proof materials they need are difficult to find; not available at local distributor branches.
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Marketing
What is Good "Product Content"?
By David Gordon
For the past few years electrical distributors have been actively investing in (with the hope of eventually deploying) commerce-enabled websites. This has necessitated that distributors become acquainted with, focus on, invest in and develop product content (data) to power their systems. And they've had to learn the difference between product content that is sufficient / usable for their ERP system (transactional and supply-chain oriented) and product content that is suitable for customers (commerce enabled). All content originates, to some degree, from manufacturers. For distributors and e-distributors / retailers, there are a few additional data sources.
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Looking Back
The Power of Video
By Shoynear Morrison
With the digital shift in full effect, how do we as communicators continue to engage our audience? How do we truly compete with social media like Facebook and YouTube with the common sayings, "print is dead" and "nobody reads anymore" circulating in our industry? As marketers and communications professionals, the greatest way to transition into the digital realm is by creating videos for your audience to consume. With the attention span of our audience shrinking below the level of a gold fish, showcasing content through visual means is the best way to demand attention.
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Peers & Profiles
Laura Dempsey — A Second Generation of Women at E.B. Horsman & Son
By Owen Hurst
Laura Dempsey has been working as an outside sales representative for E.B. Horsman & Son for over 15 years, and is a member of the BCEA U40 network of young professionals. She lives in Langley, BC and is proud of her position and work with E.B. Horsman, particularly as she is the second Dempsey generation to work for the company. Laura's mother Shelly has worked at E.B. Horsman for over 25 years, and instilled in Laura a determination to succeed. Laura followed in her mother's footsteps after witnessing how much her mother enjoyed her work and the people she works with at E.B. Horsman.
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One Particular Counter
Highlights from Gerrie Electric's "Salebration" Tradeshows
This year, as Canada celebrated 150 years of Confederation, Gerrie Electric celebrated 60 years of helping customers be more successful. To honour the milestone, Gerrie held two "Salebration" tradeshows with show specials, training industry experts, prizes and networking with local Ontario colleges. Plus, attendees earned Gerrie Bucks on show purchases to redeem for merchandise such as televisions, electronics, gift cards, sporting goods, and more.
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Economy
GDP Slips 0.1% in August 2017
Real gross domestic product (GDP) edged down 0.1% in August, after being essentially unchanged in July. Declines in manufacturing and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction more than offset increases in most sectors (12 out of 20). Goods-producing industries contracted for the second consecutive month, declining 0.7% in August in part due to temporary reduced capacity in the manufacturing and the mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction sectors. Services-producing industries edged up 0.1%. Building materials and supplies (-2.8%) and machinery, equipment and supplies wholesaling (-0.7%) gave back some of the gains registered in July.
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Economy
Value of Building Permits Up Slightly in September
Building permits rose in September for the first time in three months, as strength in the non-residential sector outweighed some weakness in the residential sector. Canadian municipalities issued $7.9 billion worth of building permits in September, up 3.8% from the previous month. A 1.7% decrease in the residential sector was more than offset by a 13.9% increase in the non-residential sector. A high-value institutional building permit issued in Alberta was behind much of the increase.
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In The Next Issue
The pace of change
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