Rexel Makes Changes

i am a manager for an independent electrical distributor in the south.
i am currently looking for at least 3 industrial/
OEM salesmen to cover my industrial market’s
i would love to see a list of contacts interested
in moving to my location

The frog bastards that bought CES in
Florida bought it with laundered Iraqui oil money.

son of a WW2 veteran RIP who was on Normandy beach

Drop me a line.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreydmason53

I would be happy to discuss your openings.
We have been successful in placing experienced sales and management professionals in the south.
Please contact me at any time.

wj@myecs.net
888-474-4327
http://www.ecs.jobs

I started this Rexel thread several days ago. I had been recruited by an earlier Rexel regime some 22 months ago to bring a couple of branches back from the abyss. I have 40 + years of experience within our industry primarily with independent distribution.

I was very successful with my Rexel assignment as i turned my branches around to the point that they had become very profitable within 18 months. This turnaround was achieved in a pitiful south Florida market environment which has been mostly in the dump since the second quarter of 2007. Nonetheless, I didn’t apply any magic, just blocking, tackling, selling and servicing a remaining customer base.

As the interim CEO of Rexel, Chris Hartman had indicated to all of us during a mid-year review that we had “turned the corner” and that the worst was over. On 10/4, he selected Mark Daniel as the new CEO of Rexel and shortly thereafter, the shit hit the fan.

An estimated 275-300 of us had our positions eliminated and we were released with negligible severance. There were so many of us released that there were not enough HR teams to carry out the task. I was released by two peers and a conference call from from an HR person in a remote location. The two peers who witnessed my termination weren’t worthy of carrying my jockstrap. The entire process was classless.

Those of us who were terminated included managers, inside and outside salesmen as well as operations personnel. The apparent common denominator for all of us was that we had less time with Rexel than those that were allowed to remain.

I was fooled. For a number of months during the past two years I felt Rexel was doing a pretty good job of making its way through this minefield of an economy. We lived through layoffs, wage reductions, inventory reductions which were horrible and we managed to keep a good attitude about it all. What did I know?

I can’t speak about the French and their global pussyness. i did have a bad day as a young man in Viet Nam during the summer of 1965. i was chasing some bad guys through the jungle when they took refuge in a Michelin rubber plantation that was a “no fire” zone. Michelin was state owned at the time and the French government didn’t want us to screw up the latest rubber crop. The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were very aware of the situation. They would move in to the plantation and give us the finger when we got close.

What to do? I don’t know if there is a “list” of those of us who were released. I only have knowledge of those from our local geography. i am looking for work although it would seem that we are restrained by our local territories. The ability to sell a home, move some where and buy a home are very limited. If we bought homes during the boom years, we most likely, paid huge premiums for our properties and we are all upside down with our mortgages versus our property values. My home is worth about 60% of what i owe on it.

I don’t have any good things to say about Rexel. Perhaps it would be best if they picked up their mess and returned to France where Sonepar can whip their asses.

None of this should come as any surprise to anyone that has had even the slightest contact with Rexel management. There is not nor ever has been any appreciation for the people that really do the work. This is a French culture that has been taken to a whole new level by current management. I wish all my former colleagues who are out of work the best…Trust me You will find a home and be better off than you ever dreamed. For those who are still there—-read the tea leaves….. Good luck

On the west coast the slashing apparently isnt as severe but doesnt make any more sense. Branches that were always hailed as the most profitable are suddenly closed. People who cant even run their own branch are suddenly “area managers” in charge of several. Salespeople with 10+ years experience laid off in favor of people with the company for two months. People who cant spell AB assigned to industrial accounts. Customers and employees up in arms about no support and no plan to move forward.
The common denominator???
Management from top to bottom all so new they dont know who anybody is nor understand their role.
My advice??
Dont spend another minute thinking about it. You are wasteing your time. Look forward always.

Rexel has no market presence here along the Gulf Coast. Once Summers, they are no longer in the game with any of the large chains as well as strong local independant distributors. If they get a sniff of a commercial project, they low-ball pricing and hope they make a few bucks on the backside.

We’re always looking for talented people. Give us a call.

So far we haven’t seen a list of former Rexel employees. But we will share if we do receive.
With Rexel going on to one ERP system there might be some additional moves that they might make.

Could we be witnessing the start of more consolidation?

Frankly I hope Rexel stays in business….it will make it easier for us to take market share.

Rexels main problem is that the leaders that are in charge have NO CLUE on how to run a business.They basically tell the customer “we are Rexel and we will tell you how you are going to do business with us”. Their arrogant attitude is based upon the amount of branches that they claim to have and not upon their ability to serve the customers.Just a little well known reminder is that branches must have stock and people that actually know what those products are. You cant replace a 20 year veteran with some kid that worked at Burger King just the week before. Oh thats right you can pay the kid $24K for doing that job….. nuff said !

Regarding Bob Compagna, he was a Booooooooooob !! had no idea on which way to start and was only the division manager after selling his personally owned company to Rexel.

Rexel works up front for rebates which they do well with vendors,and this of course is never shown to the sales staff. Unfortunately they fabricate the cost side to the sales staff who goes to market everyday 10+% heavy over actual cost making their ability to make a decent profit almost impossible. And ironically after the sale is made they keep 1.3% of the total GP (ie-if you sell for 18% GP they knock it down to 16.7 and keep the difference) As one person wrote they want most of their sales staff to max out around 50K and if you make above that they will find ways to take it back.

The worst thing is that Rexel seems to not want to succeed. I guess thats why they are losing customers at twice the rate they are gaining them

Where does Gexpro stand during all this? Are they the jewel of Rexel?

It would not be unreasonable to think that we could see a new distributor emerge from all of this. They could call themselves “Rexpro”. It always seemed to me that Jeff Immelt did a number on Mr. Waterman. What do i know?

Several of the earlier respondents to this thread have been right on with their comments.

Rexel does spend an awful lot of their time telling customers how they must conduct business with Rexel. ( isn’t ours an ass kissing business in the first place?)

Management at the higher levels within Rexel have little experience in managing distribution businesses. (perhaps some wisdom extracted from Jack Welsh or other GE cronies, i.e. if you can manage, you can manage any business segment).

The practice of negotiating rebates up-front with vendors seems to be a doomed process. Branch inventories are never carried at market levels and the management directives to attain or achieve acceptable margin levels is a negative incentive for the sales force. The sales force almost always defaults to direct business as a result.

I have taken the advice of several of those in this thread and i am moving on. I do not believe Mark Daniel has any magic pixie dust which he can spread across the land to repair the damage which Rexel has caused themselves.

Something is being lost in all of these discussions. Most of the really good people started leaving 3 or 4 years ago and the ones that were left took the company to new lows. So if you are looking for good people, keep looking as the best and brightest left a long time ago.

The comments above are so true. Mike DeStefano even told a branch manager that his store was closing over the phone and told him to lock the doors and escort any customoers out and leave. How pathetic is that?! A few good employees left a store in NC a while back and went to work for a competitor. Rexel, while closing stores left and right, spends money to sue these guys, all the while laying people off and shutting doors. Rexel had no one in management that has a clue how to operate. They took good producing stores in NC and basically destroyed them.

Rexel continues to tighten the purse strings but IMO, this thread reads like sour grapes. Many, many good people have retained their jobs during this reorganization. And many of the old schoolers that were sent packing, are still hung up in the 1980s and have simply refused to move into the 21st century. Rexel will survive, and the French will have nothing to do with that. In America, we need our jobs too.

I don’t think these posts sound like sour grapes. I read them from people who have been there, commited themselves to a job, a company…with a good hard working American work ethic…and Rexel has cowardly ripped apart what was working. Arrogantly waltzed in, assuming they could do better, bigger, faster… when their way fell like a rock in a pond…they take it out on the employees. The customers suffer, stores closing, people without jobs. What about any of that will result in survival? No one I know wants to do business with a company so callous and so out of touch with its customers and employees.

We seem to have a variety of thoughts and ideas popping up on this thread. Most, like mine, have been very critical of Rexel while others have suggested that we sound like “sour grapes” and that many of us are hung up or lost in the 80’s. it has also been suggested that “the ones that were left took the company to new lows”.

I do know that I spent the past 21 months working my ass off and my efforts had provided very positive results. i am not lost in the 80’s but perhaps the 60’s and 70’s and I am very comfortable with my abilities to operate a wholesale distribution business. I was recruited by Rexel and I was not left as a result of a previous purge.

I don’t believe Rexel will survive as we know it and the French will have a great deal to do with it.

I will return to independent distribution and thrive while Rexel continues to re-organize, close branches, reduce inventory and expand to industrial markets all the while maintaining implicit faith that A-B will master their difficulties with SAP and that Eclipse will prove to be the elixir of life when it comes to an excellent business platform. It ain’t going to happen.

I am looking for a Regional Sales Manager in Hartford and a Sr. Internal Auditor in Philly for a large successful electrical distributor.
(Both positions are open due to growth!) If you or someone you know is interested, please feel free to contact me ASAP.

to the person looking for an RSM in CT, if you could let people know how to get in touch with you, or email Allen or I with contact information, hopefully someone will respond

I worked for Consolidated Electric in Florida, and watched Rectal DESTROY a great company over a short course of time. I left to go to Sonepar, and it was the best decision I ever made. We have hired MANY Rexel employees, and all are very happy where we are at. Sonepar may be of French origins, but they are not cut from the same “A-hole” roots as rexel. The CEO of Sonepar actually cares about her employees, and leaves the individual operating companies alone to do what they do best ….. prosper and succeed.

Rexel just another branch in Canon City, Colorado. Laid off 2 in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

Most of what I am reading is GE mentality with the corporate leaders of not understanding distribution. Unfortunately, they run the sigma program that does nothing to favor the customers needs…service, product and a wholesale mindset. I am on the other side of Rexel and unfortunately the leaders don’t get it. Inventory is key and Sonepar understands it to a tee.

Rexel are out of touch with both their markets and customers .I worked for them in Asia Pacific region 5 years ago and could see the writing on the wall , they have destroyed parts of Australia and New zealand by closures and trying to dictate to customers.
The FROGS are hopeless in war and business

Having worked for Rexel after they purchased what once was a great company and then watching the clueless management both local and upper destroy the company in a matter of a couple short years, I do not see them long for North America. All though since I have left and moved on to competition I hope they continue to stick around as they by far are like having another “sales person” for my company at the account.

I gave Rexel 15 years of loyality and hard work only to be shown to the door on October of last year, I was one of the fallen ones. The guy that gave me the bad news here in Maryland keep saying, this is not performance related, the company is making changes and you are part of it…..Well the southern regional Presidents son who was just hired by this idiot wasn’t effected, in fact he replaced me and 3 other managers.
As I look at Rexel now I see a company that has lost customer’s and the respect of the community. Rexel comes in and before you know it they close the branch or get rid of the people the truly know the electrical wholesale business.
In my eyes, when Dick Waterman left so did the great leadership he brought with him, the boys from Ohio couldn’t make a patch on this mans ass. I saw what the Ohio boys did to get where they are, I remember when they were in none performing branch’s……………..Well a year has come and gone and I have NO respect for those in power at Rexel these day’s, they are dishonest, have no moral compass and and not men of true quality.

Rexel is moving away from risk, and that translates to tighter credit policies and rejection of the contractor business. With the worldwide economy in shambles, Rexel has achieved a 6% EBITA internationally, and reporting top line growth YOY. Ten years from now they will be exactly the kind of company they want to be. The painful sacrafices and embarrassement to most all of us x Rexel employees was collateral damage and of no issue to them. It is big business and exactly what Chris Hartman was hired to do. I saw it coming many years ago.