Independent manufacturers’ representatives have evolved beyond commission-based selling. Manufacturers, reps and distributors need to recognize what that means for channel support. A few weeks ago, I presented a webinar for NEMRA on rep compensation– one for reps and one for
Graybar reported a record third quarter 2026 with record results by every measure. While much of the electrical distribution industry has been celebrating data-center-driven growth, Graybar delivered something arguably more impressive in Q3 2026: broad-based acceleration, record profitability, and evidence
Every manufacturer and distributor talks about the workforce – their value and them being their difference. Then they talk about turnover … in the warehouse, a specific location, or that people are “leaving” or retiring. Unfortunately, there is nothing that
Who said only data centers, warehouses, and industrial facilities can be 1,000,000 square feet? Since contractors build them, why shouldn’t they have them? Helix Electric, a $1+ billion national contractor, is coming to Alabama and building such a facility according
Last week the Electrical Association of Philadelphia (EAP) held their biennial Electric Expo for its membership and the broader eastern Pennsylvania / metro Philadelphia marketplace. The event featured over 200 exhibitors including many manufacturers and some contractor-focused service providers as
Rexel provided a third quarter sales update (not a detailed quarterly earnings statement) on October 22, pointing to an electrical distribution market increasingly shaped by electrification, rather than a uniform recovery in construction. Sales reached $6.33 billion, up 14.6% on
The Q3 Pulse of Lighting results are in, and while I hope you exceeded performance, the reality is everyone was about flat or there were many that succeeded and others that were challenged. 2026 Q3 Pulse of Lighting …”Challenged” but
With Labor Day passing we get ready to look towards the end of the year (only 71 working days left), taking a breath (101 days to Christmas), closing the year strong and planning for 2027! But, before we leave Q3,
For years we’ve heard about the need for grid modernization and once of the concerns regarding the growth of data centers is power generation. Industrial factories also play into this. Power generation construction, and subsequent maintenance, is, and will, represent
Recently I saw two news stories that got me wondering. The first was New York State’s moratorium on data center construction. The second was a county here in North Carolina that also implemented a moratorium, and the newscast went on
The lighting industry continued to undergo much change in Q2. Aside from a number of small manufacturer acquisitions / mergers, lighting agents merging, and the final “implosion” of Cree Lighting, we also had LEDucation, Signify’s Capital Markets Day, Acuity’s earnings
The Prysmian / Atkore deal is done. It legally was closed yesterday, October 19th. The deal was first announced early August and since then there has been much discussion throughout the industry on who will rep which / what line,
Over the past couple of months there has been much chatter about pending new rep / manufacturer relationships pending the combination of Prysmian and Atkore. While much is unknown, the only confirmed change in September occurred at Brazil Brothers, however,
As our 2026 Q3 Pulse of Lighting revealed, and Acuity’s Q4 earnings report confirmed, the lighting market exhibited some growth, albeit low single digits over the summer. In reviewing Acuity’s performance, the focus is on their Acuity Brands Lighting group
It has been a busy year for Halco. At the end of last year, they acquired the permanent lighting business from Topaz, which was owned by Southwire. Since then, they have had to make decisions in a number of territories
nVent announced their results for 2Q 2026 on July 31. They reported record quarterly sales of $1.5 billion, up 53%, and 47% organically, and adjusted operating income was $323 million, up 61%, riding a historic data‑center boom while simultaneously navigating
