As the calendar turned, many in the lighting industry said “good riddance” to 2025. It was a rocky road given the impact of tariffs on the project market and product pricing. At the end of the day for most it


As the calendar turned, many in the lighting industry said “good riddance” to 2025. It was a rocky road given the impact of tariffs on the project market and product pricing. At the end of the day for most it
The distributor acquisition market has been slow this year. Coming into this year, since 2021, the start of COVID, there had been about 130 distributors acquired, or a little more than 30 per year. This year … a few in
In a sign of the importance of lighting controls as a growth segment of the lighting industry, ArchLIGHT Summit, the Dallas Market Center’s lighting show which it held in September, announced Webster Marsh to Lead ArchLIGHT Education & Programming According
The acquisition market has been relatively quiet for the past six months. There have been some manufacturer rep deals as well as numerous manufacturer deals (although not many that are relevant to the core electrical distribution market.) Many have asked
Congratulations are in order for Fromm’s John Hanna. According to a press release from Fromm Electric: “Fromm announced that effective January 1, 2026, John Hanna, President & Chief Operating Officer, will become Chief Executive Officer of the company. This transition
Yesterday morning Border States shared a press release that surprised many in the electrical industry … that they were leaving AD after a 40-year relationship. Border States Exits Affiliated Distributors According to the press release, dated December 1: “Border States
As the calendar turned, many in the lighting industry said “good riddance” to 2025. It was a rocky road given the impact of tariffs on the project market and product pricing. At the end of the day for most it
In the electrical distribution industry, we often talk about “backside dollars”, or rebates, as a necessary part of the business. But are they a strategic asset or just a “tax” on doing business? Last year we (Channel Marketing Group) conducted
While the electrical market is the poster-child for the phrase “every market is a local market”, it helps to have a macro frame of reference to guide you in what to look for. In the housing industry, there are two
Can you go through a day without hearing the word “datacenter” or “new industrial opportunity / facility?” And then, shortly thereafter you hear about future power needs. A few years ago, we heard how EV’s were going to drive electrification
Data centers are perceived as a “huge” market opportunity by almost every manufacturer. Many distributors believe that they should be able to win some business there. Reps are expected to win business there. And yes, there are lots of data
The 2025 Q4 Pulse of Lighting report revealed that many lighting manufacturers, lighting agents / manufacturer reps, and electrical distributors feel that lighting controls will be an important driver to helping them achieve their 2026 lighting goals. Lighting Controls Key
Many have talked about the need for some consolidation in the lighting industry, and there have been some small companies acquired but few that have good brand awareness. Yesterday Halco changed this. Halco announced that it acquired Topaz’ lighting business
An interesting product ranking came across my desk this week. Usually, I don’t pay much attention to these because it is a publisher’s pick but Building Design + Construction’s Top 75 Building Products for 2025 was selected by a jury
ABB and RB Sales, a division of Electris360, made a significant move in the Upper Midwest with ABB announcing RB as its newest manufacturer representative. RB Sales to Represent ABB Installation Products According to a press release from RB Sales,
Over the past month I’ve ran into a number of companies and initiatives where the conversation turned to, what I’ll call, convergence. It’s the convergence of power and mechanical controls … lighting controls and building management. There have been lighting