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Message From The Editor
Change is in the DNA of our industry
Everything is moving in the electrical industry. Every week, we receive press releases informing us of new acquisitions, mergers, partnerships. New business models are being put in place, but also the electricity distribution model is changing and product offerings too, both as a result of technological developments and new mergers and partnerships. Read our publisher, John Kerr, on the possible directions the electrical industry could take in light of the past 24 months. Much more in this issue. Good reading!
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Market Study
The Only Constant Is Change
By John Kerr
The recent flurry of activity in mergers and acquisitions and other moves over the past year continues to challenge how we define the electrical industry in Canada. Let’s look at what’s happened in the past 24 months. Wesco buys and integrates Anixter. Rexel Buys the Wesco utility business. Guillevin makes three moves with the acquisition of Wesco’s datacom practice, Quebec’s Dubo Electric, and most recently McLoughlin Electric in the Atlantic provinces. Deschenes on the heels of buying Ideal Supply bought Daltco, Baril and Powrmatic. Behind the scenes Aztec left IMARK and joined AD, while IMARK grew with seven new members: Coldbrook, Unique Lighting, Estate Lighting, Concord Electric, Rolan, Aurora, and Rana. Alongside this Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) has begun its efforts to attract more automation and control distributor members while building its foundation and influence, further adding companies involved in the integration of high, medium, and low voltage power systems. So, what does all this mean to the Canadian electrical industry?
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Best Practices — Electrical Products
Sub-Standard Products, You and Your Customers
By Gurvinder Chopra
Many of us have been shopping online more than ever. The dramatic increase in online shopping during the pandemic is likely to continue as the majority of us have adopted online buying habits during lockdown. With the change in this trend, a growing number of sellers are now looking for your money through online sales and are offering low prices for a variety of products, including electrical. But is cheaper better? Remember that quality, performance, and above all, the safety of goods may be compromised when the price is too good to be true. And online sellers that sell substandard goods may disappear quickly, leaving you with an unusable product and a loss of your money.
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White Paper — Cybersecurity
Industry 4.0 Introduces Increased Cybersecurity Risks
Smart manufacturing and smart factories depend on connectivity and data sharing to deliver Industry 4.0 benefits such as increased operating productivity and enhanced safety, as well as reduced downtime and costs. However, critical connected systems are an attractive target for cybercriminals in search of a potentially profitable opportunity to exploit. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems can be particularly difficult to secure. Each device added to the network creates a new potential risk. Factor in the inherent complexity of big automated systems and the fact that malicious hackers only need to find one vulnerability to gain access to the entire network potentially, and the challenge becomes clear. What may not be as easy to understand is how to mitigate these complex security issues.
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Best Practices — Distribution
Six Things Every Distributor Should Ponder
By Frank Hurtte
Recently I was asked to write on the post-pandemic “new normal” for [IT]IMARK Now Electrical[IT] Magazine. Specifically, I addressed how distributors could find new customers and nurture their current customers. I began the article with a half dozen thoughts I believe distributors everywhere should use to better focus their businesses. First, over the years, distributors have done a poor job of selecting their customers. In many instances, it is the customer who selects the distributor for reasons often unknown to the distributor. Second, the cost of bringing on a new customer, whether good or bad, is high…
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Lighting Technology
The IoT and Lighting Design
By Craig DiLouie
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recently published ANSI/IES LP-12-21, [IT]IoT Connected Lighting[IT] . This 43-page lighting practice and American National Standard provides guidance for lighting professionals to consider and evaluate connected lighting and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and applications. The IoT can be confusing when one tries to define it according to its full range of features and benefits, which are evolving. Instead, it is more useful to define it according to core capabilities, with realized features and benefits individualized to applications. An IoT solution networks sensors and computing devices that can be globally programmed, interoperate, cross-communicate, and generate data. These capabilities provide a powerful tool for building owners and managers to improve operational efficiencies with benefits that go far beyond maximizing energy management.
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One of Our Own — Distribution Centre
Lumen Breaks Ground for New Distribution Centre
On August 17, 2021, an official groundbreaking ceremony took place in Laval, Quebec to mark the expansion of Lumen’s distribution centre, a $90 million investment project. Several dignitaries were present, including Stéphane Boyer, Deputy Mayor of Laval, Quebec and Christopher Skeete, MPP for Ste-Rose. The expansion will increase the building’s total area to more than 560,000 sq. ft. This is the fourth phase of an automation process that will significantly increase the facility’s cable cutting capacity.
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One of Our Own — Distribution Centre
Gerrie Moves into New Distribution Centre
A new Gerrie Electric distribution centre opens on September 8 in Burlington, Ontario. The new 76,000 sq. ft. facility, located at 3475 North Service Road, Burlington, ON L7N 3G2, has been in planning and preparation for two years. This expansion includes leading edge process automation to ensure that the Gerrie team supplies customers with the products they need accurately and on time. The solution increases employee efficiency, rather than replaces people. “We believe in the importance of having a physical presence in our cities and towns in Ontario,” the company says. “Our branch teams will continue to serve you and have the right inventory available for pick up locally as they always have.”
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Looking Back
Technology Will Force Change
“The products we distribute now will change as much in the next few years as cars did between 1974 and 1984. The pistons are still there but just about everything else has changed,” says Clare Radis, president and general manager of Electrical Wholesalers (Edmonton) Ltd.
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Survey Says
Operations Manager Pay Difference by Location
Of those surveyed, operations managers in Edmonton as well as Calgary (not charted) make 14% and 12% over the average, respectively, while those in Montreal earn 11% below the average. The national average salary is $68,436.
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Economy
Q2 Financial Statistics for Enterprises
The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was experienced in Canada early during the second quarter of 2021. In April, the number of positive COVID-19 cases grew to its highest levels since January 2021. Consequently, provinces enacted public health measures in several regions across the country, which directly affected the performance of businesses in Canada. Input costs for Canadian businesses grew 6.1% on average over the second quarter, higher than the 5.7% increase seen in the first quarter. While an increase in the price of lumber drove the rise, input costs rose across most product lines, which drove up the costs of goods sold for Canadian producers. Consequently, net income before taxes in the non-financial sector declined by 2.0% in the quarter.
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Canadian Survey on Business Conditions: Q3 2021
Real gross domestic product contracted 0.3% in May, following a 0.5% decline in April. Total economic activity was about 2% below the level in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. From July to early August 2021, Statistics Canada conducted the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions. This survey collects information on business expectations in the future and the ongoing impact of the pandemic on businesses in Canada. Over the next three months, over one-quarter of businesses expected their profitability to decrease, 14.8% expected their sales to decrease, over one-fifth expected to increase the prices they charge and nearly four-fifths expected their number of employees to remain the same. Businesses also expected to face a variety of obstacles in the short term.
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Changing scene – People of the industry
- Munden Enterprises Welcomes Thane Robb to the Team
Munden Enterprises is thrilled to have Thane Robb become a member of their team. Robb will take on his new role as Inside Sales Manager at Munden Enterprises. Robb is looking forward to promoting the company and the company’s manufacturing partners.
- Leviton Lighting Canada Appoints New Eastern Regional Sales Manager
David Janowski has been named the new Eastern Regional Sales Manager at Leviton Lighting Canada. Over the course of his career, David has held a variety of positions in the lighting and building systems industries. He has extensive knowledge and experience in lighting and controls, as well as a track record of increasing sales and developing solid relationships. This knowledge will help to drive all of Leviton Lighting Canada's lighting brands.
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Changing scene – People of the industry
- Leviton Canada has Announced Jean-Francois Gravel's Promotion to the Position of Sales Director for Quebec and Atlantic
Jean-Francois started as a Territory Manager for the Montreal region at Leviton in July 2019. He has a broad awareness of all product categories and has developed ties with both distributors and contractors, giving him a thorough insight of the regional market and its unique requirements. For the most of his career, Jean-Francois has worked in the electrical business. He has held a variety of positions during his career, beginning with a summer work as a warehouse employee and progressing to counter sales, inside sales, buyer, branch manager, and sales representative. He has worked at both the distributor and manufacturer levels in the Leviton sector for the past 20 years.
- Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited Welcomes Scott Currier to the Executive Team
Scott Currier will join Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited's executive team, taking on the role of Vice President of Finance and Operations on August 23, 2021. Scott has more than 20 years of finance and operations experience, having worked in a variety of roles at several companies, the most recent of which was Chief Financial Officer at Hexagon Canada and MSC Software Americas. Gerrie Electric's executive team is ecstatic to welcome Scott to the company, and they look forward to his contribution to the company's success.
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Changing scene – People of the industry
- Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited Welcomes Jason Krehl to the Team as Procurement Manager
Jason Krehl will join the Gerrie Electric Wholesale Limited team on August 16th, 2021 as Procurement Manager. Jason has over 15 years of global supply chain management experience in both the distribution and manufacturing industries. Gerrie Electric's executive team is ecstatic to welcome Jason to the company, and they anticipate his commitment to the company's success.
- EdisonReport Announces 5th Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards
EdisonReport is proud to announce the 5th Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards. The 5th Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented on Tuesday, October 26th, prior to the start of LightFair on Wednesday, October 27th. Paul Pompeo, Nancy Clanton, and Donny Wall will serve as judges for this year’s awards.
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Changing Scene
- UV-LED Market Size In 2021
268 million dollars the "UV-LED Market" 2021 is expected to grow at a 21.2 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the next five years, with a global market value of 1044 million dollars by 2026. The UV-LED market will be driven by the growing demand for UV-LED, which is utilised in a variety of applications such as sterilisation and disinfection, analytic instruments, curing, and others. The research report offers important insights into the market situation of UV-LED manufacturers, including the most up-to-date facts and numbers, definitions, SWOT analyses, expert opinions, and global developments.
- Cree Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal Year 2021
Cree, Inc. reported $145.8 million in sales from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, which ended on June 27, 2021. This reflects a 35% increase over the $108.4 million in revenue from continuing operations recorded in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, and a 6% increase over the third quarter of fiscal 2021.
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Changing Scene
- eLumigen Recognized for Class 1 Div 2 Fixture
The 2021 Sapphire Awards, one of the lighting industry’s top honors, announced that eLumigen was a Sapphire Award Finalist in the “Industrial SSL Luminaire Design” category, for their High CRI Class 1, Division 2 (C1D2) LED Fixture. The company is known for its unique line of LED rough service lamps and fixtures, designed for harsh commercial and industrial environments…
- Monthly Estimates of Business Openings and Closures, May 2021
Statistics Canada revealed that there were slightly fewer active businesses, marking the first time since May 2020 that the number of closures outpaced the number of openings. The number of new businesses opened fell by 11.5 percent, the greatest drop since December 2018 and the second month in a row with negative growth. Following a 2.5 percent increase in April, the number of firm closures decreased by 2.9 percent.
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Changing Scene
- Liteline Welcomes Brett Hilkemann to The United States Team
Please join Liteline Corporation in welcoming a new addition to their United States team! Brett Hilkemann will be taking on the role of Central Regional Sales Manager – USA! Brett has over 20 years working in lighting sales, including roles as regional sales manager to VP of Sales at various lighting companies. He will be a great asset to Liteline's team with his experience in market development and relationship building at a national level.
- Take Part in EFC’s Day of Giving to Support Families in Our Local Communities
On October 4, World Habitat Day, Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) members and their business partners are joining forces for EFC's Day of Giving in support of Habitat for Humanity Canada. The goal is to raise $100,000 to help families gain strength, stability and independence through access to affordable home ownership.
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