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Drive for Data

David Gordon Posted On April 15, 2016

Over the past month or so Allen and I have had a number of calls for data. Some are from owners / senior management, some from marketing personnel and some from operational staff. The calls are from manufacturers and distributors. […]

Customer Segments / Growth Strategies / Marketing / More Insights / Research Reports

Population Trends Drive Healthcare Opportunities

David Gordon Posted On April 7, 2016

Last week DISC Corp updated its 2016 outlook for the electrical industry through its Flash Update. Overall the projection was for the electrical industry to be down 1.5% however, Herm highlighted that there are customer segments that are outperforming the […]

Contractors / Customer Segments / Growth Strategies / Industrial Market / Industry News / More Insights / Research Reports

“Recession Risk Not High” But Electrical Sales Projected to Decline

David Gordon Posted On March 28, 2016

With Q1 coming to an end, market (as in industry, not Wall Street), watchers are projecting a continuing, and slightly accelerated, sales decline, at the national level, especially for those in the industrial segment. (But do read down to the […]

Distributors / Growth Strategies / Industry News / Lighting / Lighting2 / More Insights / Research Reports / Sales Channel / Supplier / Products

Is lighting a service, a product, a concept or illumination?

David Gordon Posted On March 23, 2016

Over the past couple of months we’ve touched on the changes that the lighting industry is undergoing. While much of it relates to LEDs, the “lamp” business, lighting controls and connectivity, we also mentioned how lighting can become a data […]

Associations / Growth Strategies / Industry Consolidation / Logistics / Manufacturers / More Insights / Productivity / Profitability / Reps / Research Reports / Sales Channel

POS / POT Standards Endorsed by 17 Manufacturers

David Gordon Posted On March 15, 2016

Equitable compensation is a topic that is near and dear to every manufacturer, distributor, manufacturer rep and salesperson. After all, why “sell” a product if you are not compensated for it? This is one of the key issues facing electrical […]

More Insights / Research Reports

Industrial Gloves Market Expected to Reach $9.7B

David Gordon Posted On December 28, 2015

Why industrial gloves for electrical distributors? Diversification. We’re seeing distributors diversify into other segments (i.e. industrial supplies) as well as taking existing products that they offer (i.e. gloves) and developing, or re-positioning, a product category for safety. It’s an effort […]

Branding / Channel Strategies / Contractors / eMarketing / Manufacturers / Marketing / More Insights / Research Reports

How Influential Are Dealers (Contractors) When Pros Select Products?

David Gordon Posted On October 27, 2015

The question of what influence a distributor has on their customers is often debated. What percentage of the time do customers know what they want (and hence the distributor acts as an “order taker” or fulfillment source) and what percentage […]

Channel Strategies / Distributors / eBusiness / Growth Strategies / Industry Consolidation / Industry News / Lighting / Lighting2 / Manufacturers / Marketing Groups / More Insights / Research Reports / Sales Channel

AD’s 2015 Electrical Division Meeting Update

David Gordon Posted On October 11, 2015

Earlier this month I attended the AD Electrical Supply Division (ESD) National Annual Meeting (NAM) held at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas. The theme was Together, We Win, a continuation of their recent branding strategy. The meeting attracted about 1,000 […]

Distributors / Growth Strategies / Industry News / Lighting / Lighting2 / Manufacturers / More Insights / Research Reports

Survey Says … Low Single Digit Industry Growth in 1st Half

David Gordon Posted On August 4, 2015

A couple of weeks ago we asked how the first half of the year had gone for you. We had heard from a number of people about a slowdown, especially in the industrial segment, but had heard of contractor growth […]

Customer Segments / Growth Strategies / Industrial Market / Industry News / Lighting / Lighting2 / Manufacturers / More Insights / Research Reports

Eaton, Hubbell and Rockwell Report Q2 Earnings

David Gordon Posted On August 2, 2015

We continue with our Q2 earnings report highlights seeking marketplace insights after sharing information from Rexel, WESCO, Acuity and ABB / T&B. Eaton First a review of their presentation. Key highlights, again focusing solely on the divisions important to the […]