MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Is it time to start looking ahead?
These days the temperature outside is comfortable. Perhaps not so much so for our colleagues in Alberta recently, but otherwise things are going okay, business forecasts are positive. But before we get too comfortable, maybe it's time to look ahead. By any chance, could South Korea be your next business destination? Is it time for a change in leadership? Do you need a more sophisticated inventory management system? Is resistance to change putting the brakes on your expansion plans? Is energy efficiency actually translating into greater power consumption? All this and more in this issue. Good reading!
Line Goyette
Managing Editor, Canadian Electrical Wholesaler
linegoyette@kerrwil.com
Opinion
Distributors Should Promote Energy Efficiency
By Rick McCarten
Obviously, when customers are forced to replace older products with newer, more energy-efficient ones, there is an opportunity for businesses to sell a new product — even if the new product might be a higher cost. There is a sure way of promoting energy efficiency, but if I tell you, you must not tell the authorities who are behind the financing of the program...
Read More
|
Building Your Business
VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) Today and the Future: A Distributor's Perspective
By Paul Eitmant
Vendor managed inventory (VMI): A means of optimizing supply chain performance in which the distributor is responsible for maintaining the end user's inventory levels. The end user has access to the distributor's inventory data and is responsible for generating purchase orders.
Read More
|
Business Management
Is Your Company a Kool-Aid Drinker?
By David Gordon
Sometimes companies, and more importantly, "leadership (managers)," exhibit corporate ADD and other times they drink their own Kool-Aid. It's the rare company leadership that has vision and can generate support to affect the needed change to achieve their vision... or a change in direction.
Read More
|
Best Practices - Management
Transitioning the Role of the President
By Jason Bader
As a company matures, the needs of the organization change. The role of the president must evolve if the organization is going to grow in revenue, territory and influence. In order to successfully navigate this transition, the leader must be able to pull back from daily functions and take on a more strategic role with a heavy emphasis on personnel structure and development. While I am not suggesting that this notion is either new or revolutionary, it is often easier said than done. If growth is going to occur, the leader must fight the urge to fall back into a direct managerial stance.
Read More
|
Peers and Profiles
O'Neil Electric: 50 Years of Relationships
By Jason Rhyno
O'Neil Electric's recipe for success is a simple one. Strip away the slick new counters at their Woodbridge head office, peel off the well-designed wrap on their delivery trucks, and forget about strategic acquisitions, market analytics, or diversifying.
"It sounds kind of clichéd," says Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mike Buchholz, "but it's a relationship business and it's customer driven. That's all it is — relationships."
Read More
|
Best Practices - EMR
Passion, What Do You Do With It?
By Karen Jefferson
What are you passionate about? How does that passion manifest itself in your everyday life? Or perhaps it is hidden from the world.
There are many things that I am super enthusiastic about. Hanging with my kids, hiking, biking (motor or pedal), playing with improv comedy, hitting the gym, and having coffee are a few extracurricular activities that I value and work to make happen every week if not every day. However there are five things that I cannot… nay, will not… live without. Coffee is high on the list, but I could live without it if I absolutely had to. My imperatives are honesty, integrity, ethics, gratitude, and laughter.
Read More
|
Business Development - Exporting
South Korea: Now's the Time To Build Relationships
By Caroline Elie
Now is the time for Canadian businesses to consider getting in on the export action in South Korea. The South Korean economy grew by 2.8% in 2013. "If Canadian companies want to remain competitive, now is the time to begin building relationships in the region and consider business opportunities before the market gets oversaturated," says Mark Bolger, Chief Representative for Asia, Export Development Canada (EDC).
Read More
|
Innovation - Business Strategy
Survey of Innovation and Business Strategy, 2012
In 2012, sales and income growth was the most common performance indicator used by Canadian enterprises to monitor their long-term strategic objectives (76.7% of enterprises), followed by gross margin and operating margin growth (60.2%). As for strategic focus, enterprises directed their efforts toward maintaining or optimizing their existing business activities rather than on introducing new or significantly improved products or practices.
Read More
|
Economy - Building Permits
Building Permits, July 2014
Canadian municipalities issued building permits worth $9.2 billion dollars in July, up 11.8% from June and the fourth consecutive monthly advance. The increase in July was mainly attributable to higher construction intentions for multi-family dwellings in Ontario and British Columbia as well as institutional buildings in Manitoba.
Read More
|
Looking Back
Scandal Strikes CEDA — 1953
A committee appointed to consider the future operation of the Association reported some startling facts about the Association's Manager, Mr. Edmunds. In the minutes, President Jack Sharpe listed a string of indiscretions that highlighted his dissatisfaction with Mr. Edmunds' conduct. These included...
Read More
|
One Particular Counter
BJ Electric Supplies Ltd: The Electrical Distributor for Electrical Contractors
BJ Electric Supplies Ltd. offers a wide range of wholesale electrical products to suit all customer needs. Control products, hazardous products, lighting and lighting controls, wiring accessories… you name it, BJ Electric probably has it.
Read More
|
|
|
