United Electric Supply, Kovalsky-Carr Electric Supply Complete Merger
United Electric Supply has entered into a merger agreement with Kovalsky-Carr Electric Co. based in Rochester, New York with expertise in the residential, commercial and industrial industries since 1921.
Kovalsky-Carr will continue to operate as an independent distributor, a subsidiary of United Electric Supply Co. and service its existing customers with a focused effort on expansion in Rochester and the surrounding area.
“Being part of United Electric and its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) will support our long-term goal to invest in our associates and expand our business,” said Arnold Kovalsky, president, Kovalsky-Carr Electric Supply. “Our two companies share a philosophy and culture that focuses on our customers’ success.”
“The merger of Kovalsky-Carr and United Electric begins to fulfill our long-term objective to become a multi-regional distributor supporting independent operating brands,” said George Vorwick, president & CEO, United Electric Supply. “This is an opportunity for us to leverage our investments in our employee value proposition and career development to aggressively expand our business outside of our existing footprint. We are pleased Arnold and Larry chose our company to realize their vision to become an employee-owned organization,” said Vorwick.
United Electric also promoted Eric Slemmer to director of warehouse operations. Slemmer joined United in 2008 as a sales management trainee. In the trainee program he gained experience in various departments within distribution including warehouse, counter and inside sales. His career path began as a counter sales representative, a position he held for three years. Slemmer then moved to inside sales for four years, transitioned into management as the operations manager for two years, then onto branch management which led him to being a senior regional distribution center manager.
In his new role, he will oversee all United Electric’s warehouse operations with a continued focus on service excellence. “Having the opportunity to learn various roles and understand the sales process and how it ties to the warehouse was a valuable experience,” said Slemmer. “It all starts with the sale, and supporting the sales team is important,” he explains. “Being able to understand customer service expectations helps to problem solve with creative solutions when material is needed in an industry where project timelines are constantly changing.”
United Electric has also expanded into Culpeper, Virgina with the opening of a regional service center (RSC). The new location creates an opportunity to service both new and existing customers in the area and aligns with their five-year expansion strategy. The new RSC allows customers access to increased local stock and the most advanced feeder cable parallel equipment. United’s investments in wire and conduit management supports projects of any size across their entire territory. The availability of local inventory coupled with a variety of delivery options, including OnDemand delivery (delivered in less than 2 hours), enables customers to utilize their talents more efficiently.
For more information, visit unitedelectric.com.
Mars Electric Opens 12th Location
Mars Electric opened its 12th location in Youngstown, Ohio. The branch is conveniently located at 1208 Ameritech Boulevard, between I-680 and I-80. Founded in 1952, Mars Electric is a third generation, family-owned and operated company that has stayed true to treating everyone like family.
Mars Electric added its Youngstown branch to provide electrical contractors, industrial facilities, hospitals and institutions in the area with quick access to its 10,000 in-stock products and thousands of hard-to-find electrical, lighting and power distribution products. In addition, customers can expect next-day local deliveries at no cost, EXPRESS will call and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) services.
All Mars Electric Youngstown customers have access to the following services:
- Expertise in helping customers solve challenging electrical and lighting issues.
- Specialized pipe and colored wire management solutions for next-day delivery.
- Emergency same-day delivery service.
- Twenty delivery trucks including a crane truck available every day.
- A website where visitors can view real-time inventory on stock products, create lists to easily reorder frequently purchased items, place orders, research products and more.
For more information, visit marselectric.com.
Warshauer Named Legrand Marketeer of the Year
Warshauer Electric Supply has received the prestigious 2023 Legrand Marketeer of the Year award. After winning this award three previous times at its Tinton Falls, New Jersey location, this year both its Tinton Falls and Woodbury locations received the honor from Legrand.
This award is given to Legrand’s electrical distribution partners throughout the United States and Canada for overall marketing excellence with year-over-year growth. This accolade highlights Warshauer’s business partnership with Legrand and the success of its strategic integrated marketing approach, which includes digital marketing efforts, creative merchandising, social media presence, event marketing and industry leading electrical contractor and interior designer training programs.
Jim Dunn, executive vice president, said, “Legrand is an important partner of ours, so this award has extra meaning to all of us at Warshauer. The team effort between my Marketing Department, the local rep agencies and the enormous support from our Legrand District Manager Trevor Gardner make this recognition possible. As one of the first to receive the award in back-to-back years, to have two branches recognized in the same year is even more rewarding!”
The company also recently announced Shawn Renner has returned as senior sales engineer. Renner will head Warshauer’s newest division, Warshauer Engineering Services, play a key role in the Commercial Lighting Department and join the management team.
Renner graduated from TCNJ with a degree in electrical engineering. Following graduation, he started his career at Warshauer Electric where he excelled in commercial lighting, energy audits, lighting layouts and lighting control. Then he pursued an opportunity with Michael Baker International, where he focused on lighting and electrical design work on infrastructure projects for various DOT and private clients across the United States.
During his five years with Michael Baker, he obtained his Professional Engineering (PE) license. The “Professional Engineer” title, earned through a rigorous process, is the highest engineering licensing level in the nation. With his PE license, Renner possesses the necessary knowledge and experience to provide safe and effective engineering services.
For more information, visit warshauer.com.
ACES Holds Circle of Distinction
Atlantic Coast Electric Supply (ACES) held its third annual Circle of Distinction dinner and awards ceremony on February 13 at the Lowcountry Conference Center in Summerville, South Carolina. The purpose of this annual event was to recognize nearly 40 manufacturers, manufacturer representative agencies and individuals for outstanding performance in support of ACES in 2023.
Each participant received a commemorative Circle award representing their membership in 2023. There were eight Best in Class categories awarded and four major awards for overall performance, including a notable addition this year for Inside Support Team of the Year.
Greg Brunner, operations manager at the ACES Summerville branch expressed that choosing the top team in this category for Inside Support Team was a challenging task, given the exceptional caliber of support teams the company has. Cam Parker, sales representative at the ACES Columbia branch, took a moment to recognize the fact that all the manufacturers, agencies and individuals represented at the event were “ALL IN” with ACES whether they were a best-in-class recipient or not, and a valued partner to ACES.
Manufacturer Best in Class Award Recipients for 2023
Siemens – Sales
Charlotte Wire & Cable – Supply Chain Management
RAB – Training and Development
IDEAL Industries – New Products
Arlington Industries AND Legrand – Marketing
Agency Best in Class Award Recipients for 2023
FRM – Sales
KMS Sales – Training and Development
George Pickett & Associates – Marketing
Outstanding Overall Performance Awards for 2023
Omni Cable – Inside Support Team of the Year
Siemens – Manufacturer of the Year
Bill Wade & Associates – Agency of the Year
Nate Smith (Siemens) and Marc Emerson (United Electrical Sales) – Professional of the Year
Hillary Doherty, marketing manager stated, “The Circle of Distinction is more than us handing out trophies. It’s a time for us to express our gratitude for your time, support, and collaboration throughout the year. It’s a chance to strengthen relationships over a meal and an opportunity for you to network with ACES employees and leadership team members, all gathered in one room. We strongly believe in the immense value of hosting such an event, bringing together key partners to share business insights and initiatives.”
For more information, visit ace-supply.com.
ACES Hosts Travelling Tool Day
Atlantic Coast Electrical Supply (ACES), a Carolinas electrical distributor, delighted customers, and industry enthusiasts alike with a Tool Day extravaganza across three regions over a two-week period. This event highlighted the latest industry solutions while offering exclusive Tool Day pricing, manufacturer vendor displays with onsite demonstrations, raffles, giveaways and delectable food for attendees.
The traveling tool day was held on three separate days, creating an immersive experience for customers to explore innovative tools and technologies while enjoying engaging activities and special offers. This now annual event kicked off on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Greenville, South Carolina and ended at its newest branch location in North Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, with a stop on Thursday, November 30 in Concord, North Carolina. More than 150 customers participated by visiting their local branch on its designated tool day.
The event brought together manufacturer representatives from Diablo Tools, RAB, iTool, Rack-a-Tiers, Southwire Tools, IDEAL, Milwaukee and nVent Caddy along with industry experts and customers, fostering learning, networking and hands-on experience opportunities.
ACES is looking forward to many more events like this in 2024.
For more information, visit ACESGoingPlaces.com.