Minerallac Announces Updated Counter, Showroom Displays to Help Electrical Distributors Increase Sales The Minerallac Company has announced updated and state-of-the-art gravity feed “Jar Displays” for their distributor partners to display the Cully fasteners, anchors and tools. The attractive new displays feature a customizable “header card” with color legend indicating each product category. All of the jars have color coded labels to easily identify sub categories such as “Tek Screws”, “ Hex Nuts”, “Flat, Fender and Lock Washers” and “Anchors”. “When we converted our distributor partners from the ‘hang pack plastic boxes’ that were traditionally sold to the new Jars and displayed on the new gravity feed displays, the increase in sales has exceeded our expectations,” said Steve Yoder, National Business Development Manager. “I received feedback just last week that the sales have tripled from same store sales last year. We knew that we would increase turns by utilizing this new merchandising aid, but this kind of increase only reinforces the return on our investment in this program.”

Leviton Unveils Its 2011 NEC Code Pocket-Guide And Commences Smart Community Campaign Leviton announced the start of the Smart Community campaign, a free educational and training program designed to arm distributors with critical materials and training programs that help electrical contractors and inspectors to work safer, smarter and always in code compliance. The campaign kicks off with the release of the 2011 “Captain Code” Pocket-Guide to the NEC® Code Changes. It is used in conjunction with the 2011 National Fire Prevention Association’s National Electrical Code Manual and features Leviton’s “Captain Code” explaining the critical changes in the 2011 NEC manual that relate to wiring devices and telecommunication systems.

General Cable Named a Platinum Supplier by IMARK General Cable has been named a 2010 Platinum Supplier by the IMARK Group. The IMARK Group Platinum program recognizes suppliers who are fully engaged with IMARK Group and its member companies. The IMARK Platinum criteria have been identified as being essential to attaining above-market rates of sales performance with IMARK members. “General Cable has achieved Platinum Supplier status since 2002,” said Tom Bisson, Vice President of Sales, Electrical Distribution, General Cable. “We value this standing and will continue to strive for this status year after year, serving as a valuable partner for IMARK.”

Coleman Cable Acquisition Coleman Cable announced that it has completed the acquisition of the assets of The Designers Edge, a designer and distributor of specialty lighting products in the U.S. and Canada. The acquisition significantly expands CCI’s current product portfolio across a wide range of lighting product categories, including industrial, work and utility, as well as products for security and landscape applications.

Halo Brand Recognized By Builder Magazine Cooper Lighting, a division of Cooper Industries plc, announced that its Halo brand of recessed and track lighting products has been named by Builder magazine as the Brand Leader in lighting. Awarded for the thirteenth consecutive year, Halo was awarded top honors in the lighting categories of Brand Familiarity, Brand Used in Past 2 Years and Brand Used Most. The 2011 Brand Use Study, sponsored by Hanley Wood, LLC, publisher of Builder, provides an in-depth look at the product brands builders recognize and use most and how they rate the brands’ quality. The report highlights respondents’ opinions about brands in 81 product categories. The 2011 Brand Use Study can be viewed on the Builder website at www.builderonline.com.

NEMA Publishes LSD 14 Guidelines on Application Of Dimming to HID Lamps NEMA has published LSD 14 Guidelines on the Application of Dimming to High-Intensity Discharge Lamps. This white paper, last published in 2002, was produced by NEMA’s Lamp Section. LSD 14 provides guidance on the application, combination, and practice of dimming of high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems. The three technologies discussed are highpressure sodium, metal halide, and mercury vapor, each of which responds differently to manipulation. This revision incorporates additional systems and updates the recommendations for dimming in terms of output and the systems employed.

Leviton Names Kleinman Director of Marketing For National Distribution Leviton announced the appointment of Peter Kleinman to Director of Marketing for Leviton’s Distribution Channel. He will report to William W. Marshall, Leviton’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Kleinman will lead the marketing, branding and advertising for the company’s full line of products across the distribution sales channel.

Madison Electric Products Announces SAW Partnership Madison Electric Products announced it is partnering with SAW, Inc., one of the largest employers of persons with developmental disabilities in Ohio. SAW currently employs six workers at Madison, each of whom works on-site, packaging electric components. “The opportunity that Madison Electric has given to SAW shows the level of commitment they have given to the community,” said Marilyn Jares, SAW sales manager. “Madison Electric helps give purpose and dignity to people with developmental disabilities who want to be working, contributing members of the community. They have given the SAW workers the opportunity to achieve a better place in life through consistent employment.”

NAED Launches Its New Branch Manager University The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) announced the launch of Branch Manager University. This latest comprehensive educational resource focuses on the importance of the role of the branch manager and caters specifically to advancing their success. Branch Manager University is a portal that provides the tools that branch managers need to run their operations in a profitable manner. Here they will find a skills assessment, training tips, a forum, branch manager curriculums, and a variety of related resources.

IDEA and ElectricSmarts Enter Strategic Partnership IDEA, a business-to-business technology service provider owned by the electrical industry has agreed to enter into a strategic partnership with ElectricSmarts Network. IDEA helps manufacturers synchronize product information with distributors via the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW); a partnership with ElectricSmarts Network will help close the loop in the supply chain between the distributors and end-users such as contractors and industry-specification professionals. Through the strategic partnership, ElectricSmarts Network will provide manufacturer-authorized IDW data to end-users, and IDEA will offer Electric- Smarts’ SMART eCat web-based e-catalog to distributors for use on their websites.

Lighting Demand to Increase U.S. demand for advanced lighting is forecast to increase 9.3 percent per annum through 2015 to more than $11 billion. A government-mandated phaseout of traditional incandescent lamps and a projected improvement in the cost effectiveness of advanced lighting will drive gains. Starting in 2012, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) will limit US lighting sales to products that meet certain energy efficiency standards. These and other trends are presented in Advanced Lighting, a study from The Freedonia Group.