NSI Industries Acquires Polaris
NSI Industries has acquired electrical connectors manufacturer Polaris Electrical Connectors Inc., an Odessa, Florida-based market leader of American-made pre-insulated multi-tap connectors.
The acquisition cements a long-standing partnership between NSI Industries and Polaris, supplementing the strong organic growth of NSI and its ability to penetrate important vertical industries and markets while offering one of the broadest product, service and solution portfolios serving the overall electrical marketplace.
Polaris offers a wide array of design and manufacturing services spanning multiple markets. The company's breadth of product offering includes OEM connectors, utility connectors and commercial-industrial insulated connectors.
For more information, visit nsiindustries.com.
ECM Industries Acquires ILSCO
ECM Industries LLC recently announced the acquisition of electrical connector manufacturer ILSCO, hea dquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. ILSCO is a leading North American manufacturer of electrical connectors, tools and accessories serving commercial, industrial, utility and OEM customers. ILSCO will become part of ECM Industries, which consists of leading brands Gardner Bender, Sperry Instruments, King Innovation and Bergen Industries.
ILSCO will continue to operate its sales, engineering and all customer support functions from its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
For more information, visit ecmindustries.com.
Keystone Opens Fulfillment Center in Missouri
Keystone Technologies, a 75-year-old manufacturer of lighting components and fixtures, opened a three-millioncubic-foot fulfillment center in Kansas City, Missouri. This expansion will dramatically improve delivery times and lower shipping costs for customers throughout the greater Midwest service region.
This facility will serve as a primary logistics center for order fulfillment as well as a distribution hub to service Keystone's regional stocking locations. "This operation will bring a dramatic shift in how we service customers," said Chief Operating Officer Jake Alpert. "We strategically selected Kansas City because of its prime ability to improve delivery times to more than 40% of our customers. The positive impact is immediate."
For more information, visit keystonetech.com.
ABB Opens New Distribution Center in Phoenix
ABB Electrification's Installation Products division recently started shipping from its 400,000-square-foot West Coast Distribution Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The distribution center, which will supply products to customers in the western region of the United States, will be fully operational during the third quarter of 2020.
In addition to creating more than 100 jobs in the Phoenix area, the site will enable faster service and delivery times for a broad range of daily needed electrical products and in-stock items.
More than 2,000 products from across ABB Installation Products' entire portfolio will be stocked at this new distribution center. The company is a leading manufacturer of marquee products needed in the electrification ecosystem, including key brands such as T&B Liquidtight Fittings, Ty-Rap, Elastimold and Blackburn/Color Keyed products.
For more information, visit abb.com.
Littelfuse Launches Arc-Flash Knowledge Portal
Littelfuse Inc. recently introduced a new arc-flash knowledge center for engineers, electricians, maintenance workers and others creating a safer electrical environment.
The resource portal helps workers protect critical infrastructure by providing arc-flash information on causes, mitigation and incident energy calculations as well as white papers, videos and case studies.
For more information, visit littelfuse.com/arcflash.
Panasonic Named 2020 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year
Panasonic has received the 2020 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership and superior contributions to ENERGY STAR. Panasonic's accomplishments are recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Panasonic, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2010, was honored with the EPA's most prominent award for its long-term commitment to energy efficiency and healthy homes, as well as for its critical role supporting future improvements to ENERGY STAR ventilation fans. With the highest efficacy of any ENERGY STAR-rated ventilation fan, Panasonic continues to exceed industry standards.
"We at Panasonic are thrilled to receive this prestigious award, which not only underscores our own dedication to the research, development and design of energy-efficient indoor air quality solutions, but encompasses the importance of sustainable living across entire industries," said Naoki Kamo, president of Panasonic Life Solutions Co. of America. "With this in mind, we are excited to continue to create solutions for healthy homes that reduce costs and respect the environment."
The highest honor among ENERGY STAR awards is the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award. EPA presents the award to partners that have already received ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years and have gone above and beyond the criteria needed to qualify for recognition. Winners hail from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 organizations—representing energy-efficient products, services, new homes and buildings in the commercial, industrial and public sectors.
For more information, visit na.panasonic.com.
Legrand Steps Up Measures to Fight Climate Change
Legrand recently announced its determination to speed up the rhythm of its decarbonation trajectory, which was validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative in 2017.
The group is now aligning its strategy with the most ambitious target of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and to achieve carbon neutrality.
Legrand aims to eliminate its net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 across all of its activities, for a global warming level limited to 1.5°C. The path toward this carbon neutrality comprises the following commitments:
- Speeding up its emission reduction efforts to reach the targets validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative by 2030. This involves:
- A 3% average annual reduction in the energy consumption of its facilities
- Deployment of its energy efficiency solutions across its sites
- Use of renewable energy sources by way of production or purchase of green energy
- Ensuring its automobile fleet evolves toward hybrid or electrical vehicles
- Supporting its supply chain in reducing its carbon dioxide emissions
In addition to the initiatives stated above, participating in voluntary projects for carbon compensation, in the amount of the residual emissions of its operational activities and employee travel, to achieve neutrality by 2022 on these scopes, thereby making an immediate short-term contribution to attainment of the global aim in terms of carbon dioxide emission reductions.
These ambitious aims, which are founded on a demanding action plan deployed throughout the group, illustrate Legrand's commitment to contribute actively to the energy transition.
For more information, visit legrandgroup.com.
Leviton Launches 'Project of the Week' Video Series
Leviton launched a new "Project of the Week" video series that will introduce homeowners to easy electrical upgrades and inspiration to make their homes safer, smarter and more convenient. The first episode of the series titled, "Upgrade Outlets for a Safer Home," premiered on June 25 and can be viewed on Leviton's YouTube channel.
In addition to functional updates, the video series will highlight aesthetic improvements to complement any home's décor. Homeowners will see how the elegant Decora and colorful Renu collections of devices and wall plates can enrich their living space with style and personality.
For more information, visit leviton.com.
Southwire Named 2020 U.S. Best Managed Company
"We are excited that Southwire has been named as a member of the U.S. Best Managed Companies program," said Rich Stinson, Southwire's president and CEO. "For seven decades, we have delivered high-quality products and service to our customers and treated our employees with utmost gratitude and respect. We continue to be guided by strict ethical standards, environmental stewardship and a focus on giving back to the local community, and these commitments have undoubtedly brought us to where we are today and contributed to this tremendous honor."
The U.S. Best Managed Companies program, which is sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, began in 2008 and has expanded into 21 countries worldwide. In its inaugural year within the United States, the program seeks to recognize and honor private companies for their management skills and practices.
Some of the business practices that led to Southwire's receipt of this award include the development and communication of a ONE Southwire strategy, a long-lasting commitment to innovation, sound financial decision-making and a culture that emphasizes sustainability for its customers, employees, communities and the environment.
"We are proud to be among the 27 companies chosen to receive this award," said Guyton Cochran, Southwire executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Receiving this recognition is a team effort. This is an achievement that our entire organization can celebrate, and we are thankful for everything that our hard-working and dedicated employees have done throughout the years to help make this possible."
For more information, visit southwire.com.
POSConnection 'LIVE' to Support Manufacturers/Industry
POSConnection is a collaborative effort between NEMRA and SPARXiQ to streamline the point-of-sale (POS) data collection process between distributors and manufacturers to facilitate accuracy and timeliness of rep compensation.
Supported by a pilot group of manufacturers, data is transmitted through the hub. Currently, more than 60 electrical distributors are providing data…some for one manufacturer, some for multiple.
POSConnection is a data highway and helps distributors streamline their POS reporting by standardizing on reporting formats and transmission. Information is sent from the distributor to the hub, algorithmically normalized against a supplier provided product database to ensure UPC or catalog number accuracy, and then aggregated with data from other distributors, from the same manufacturer, into one file for forwarding to the manufacturer.
Rep principals, through a portal, can view POS reported product sales information by distributor to assist in ensuring they are receiving sales credit. No end-user customer information is available for reps through the POS hub.
The result is that the manufacturer receives one data file, with all distributors reporting in the same process, at the same time, and the information is accurate. The automation of the process saves time, improves accuracy and allows the manufacturer to quickly upload the file into their reporting/commission system.
For more information, visit nemra.org.