Profitability Archives

Customer Segments / Distributors / Growth Strategies / Industry Consolidation / Lighting / Lighting2 / Marketing Groups / Profitability / Renewables

Bigger Regionals are coming to your home!!!

David Gordon Posted On April 11, 2013

Here we are in April and many held their breath wondering how many companies would sell before the end of last year (somewhat driven by tax reasons) and how many would be sold during the first quarter of 2013. Consolidation […]

Growth Strategies / Pricing / Profitability

Increasing Sales & Profits with SPAs … A Case Study

David Gordon Posted On April 9, 2013

SPAs have been alternatively called the bane of the industry and an effective sales tool that drives profitable sales for distributors and manufacturers. From speaking with distributors and manufacturers, both are right. Distributors and manufacturers who know how to […]

Profitability

Make Sure Your Customer Can Pay … Even If He Wins Business

David Gordon Posted On March 25, 2013

Throughout pockets of the country distributors are seeking signs of an improving economy, helping improve revenues and hopefully profitability, presuming that they can be paid.We recently received George Hedley’s e-newsletter. George is a consultant to contractors in the construction trade. […]

Pricing / Productivity / Profitability / Technology

Rebates and Chargebacks = Making More $

David Gordon Posted On March 17, 2013

Everyone wants to make more money. After all, distribution is a “pennies, and maybe nickels” business. And when someone is willing to share how they’ve succeeded in pushing the needle forward, it can pay to listen (even if sometimes there […]

Branding / Contractors / Customer Service / Distributors / eBusiness / Lighting / Lighting2 / Marketing / Profitability / Technology

Low Tech & High Tech Marketing

David Gordon Posted On December 6, 2012

Over the past week I ran across a few examples of low tech and high tech marketing initiatives that may be worth exploring. The ideas come from Platt Electric, Kirby Risk, Walters Wholesale and US Lamps (a small distributor in […]

Distributors / Industry Consolidation / Industry News / Lighting / Lighting2 / Marketing Groups / Profitability / Renewables

Would You Say No to 100% of Sales?

David Gordon Posted On November 7, 2012

Last week another round of incredulity went through the industry as another acquisition was announced. Munro Distributing, an electrical distributor in Fall River, MA with 12 locations who serviced electrical contractors and is active in the solar market and in the energy […]

Growth Strategies / Industry Consolidation / Marketing / Marketing Groups / Profitability

Buying Groups … Their Value? Their Cost?

David Gordon Posted On September 26, 2012

As many know, I worked for an electrical industry marketing / buying group years ago and part of my role was membership recruitment … so I’ve “sold” the value-added of a marketing group.But what got me thinking about the topic […]

Branding / Distributors / Industry News / Lighting / Lighting2 / Marketing Groups / Profitability / Technology

Market Updates – WESCO, Graybar, Sonepar, Codale

David Gordon Posted On July 25, 2012

How about a little Reading Round-Up for the week … a collection of information we’ve found on some of the industries major players:WESCOWESCO announced it’s Q2 earnings last week. Some interesting points (from Zacks as well as the call and […]

Marketing Groups / Profitability

IMARK Goes International

David Gordon Posted On June 11, 2012

Last week IMARK Group announced that it joined IMELCO, an international organization comprised of similar marketing groups from Europe and Australia. Essentially IMELCO is a buying group for buying group, providing its members (and their members) with additional networking / […]

Pricing / Profitability / Purchasing

Pushing Back on Price Increases

David Gordon Posted On May 17, 2012

We’ve all heard the stories about customers, and distributors, who pushed back on price increases, considering them a mere request by manufacturers that, if not substantiated, are ignored. In fact, when manufacturers plan price increases they first determine what they […]