Last week the industry lost someone universally considered “a good man.” Clarence Martin, CFO and CEO of State Electric passed away. He would have been 81 next month. I had the privilege of knowing Clarence for the past 18 years, […]
Acuity reported its 2020 Q1 / 2019 Q4 performance last week and reported a XX% sales decline of which their independent channel (C&I distributors) was down XX%. The question then becomes, “As the industry’s largest US focused lighting manufacturer, is […]
Throughout the fall Channel Marketing Group surveyed NEMRA reps and also interviewed dozens of them on behalf of NEMRA for the upcoming Rep of the Future report, which will be unveiled at the upcoming NEMRA meeting. While the objective of […]
Happy New Year! As we start the beginning of the first week of the year, and with everyone back, we wanted to take a moment to share our thanks and solicit your input. Thank you First, thank you for your […]
The quarter is over and the year is done. And what a year it was in the lighting industry. It started with the threat of tariffs. Then IDEAL Industries purchased Cree Lighting, shocking the industry. Tariffs came in May and […]
Milbank Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of electrical products, is restructuring their sales organization to support the company’s long-term growth strategy. The following strategic moves and promotions are to be effective January 2, 2020: Milbank will operate with three regions in […]
The holidays are over and its time for every retailer to put their remaining inventory on sale. In the electrical industry it must be dealtime as “deals” were recently closed / are in discussions as a few acquisitions, or acquisition […]
In a market where most experience margin stagnation or margin erosion, strategies that can help improve profitability, potentially capture sales and as enhance / ensure quality processes, should be embraced. One of these strategies, which we’ve highlighted this fall, is […]
You’ve heard the story, “there is a difference between wants and needs.” For example, especially this time of year you hear one parent say to the other “the kids ‘want’ the latest and greatest electronic, but do they ‘need’ it?” […]
2019 has been an interesting, and challenging, year for the lighting industry. And the fourth quarter hasn’t disappointed. The first half of the year was dominated with talk, and eventual implementation, of tariffs. While this may have helped mitigate the […]
