Editorial Commentary

Insights, observations and opinions on life in the electrical industry.

Highlights

Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025

A Season of Discontent

Jan. 9, 2023
Forecasting can be a frustrating business because of stale data and fast-changing economic conditions.
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025

2023’s Potholes & Pots of Gold

Nov. 21, 2022
These trends could have the most impact on the electrical economy in 2023.
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2

A Change in the Weather

July 29, 2022
There’s something funky going on in the U.S. economy right now, but it’s tough to know what to call it, or to figure out how long it’s going to last.
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025
Jim Lucy2015 1025

Times & Trends: A Flock of Black Swans

June 2, 2022
Electrical distributors are once again proving their resilience in the face of a historic swarm of economic challenges.
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2
Jim Lucy2012 770 2

Times & Trends: A New Era of Innovation

July 30, 2021
Technological advances are quietly creating some out-of-this-world sales opportunities.

Stop the PR Madness

April 3, 2018
A beleaguered editor calls out for help from beneath a stack of press releases loaded with puffery and impossible-to-prove performance claims about lighting products.
Ewweb 4195 Jim Lucy Promo
Ewweb 4195 Jim Lucy Promo
Ewweb 4195 Jim Lucy Promo
Ewweb 4195 Jim Lucy Promo
Ewweb 4195 Jim Lucy Promo

Times & Trends: The Power of Us

Dec. 15, 2017
“Multi-party collaborative integration” may sound just like a bunch of MBA buzzwords, but when it happens on construction sites, it’s good news for manufacturers, reps and distributors...
Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Ewweb 4093 Utility Trainees Gettyimages 145979474 1024 Crop
Ewweb 4093 Utility Trainees Gettyimages 145979474 1024 Crop
Ewweb 4093 Utility Trainees Gettyimages 145979474 1024 Crop
Ewweb 4093 Utility Trainees Gettyimages 145979474 1024 Crop
Ewweb 4093 Utility Trainees Gettyimages 145979474 1024 Crop

Battle of the Ages

Nov. 9, 2017
As more electricians retire, your customers will have a tougher time finding qualified workers to replace them.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 25: Power lines and trees are seen knocked over by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on September 25, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 25: Power lines and trees are seen knocked over by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on September 25, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 25: Power lines and trees are seen knocked over by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on September 25, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 25: Power lines and trees are seen knocked over by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on September 25, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 25: Power lines and trees are seen knocked over by the winds of Hurricane Maria as it passed through the area on September 25, 2017 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico experienced widespread damage after Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane, passed through. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Times & Trends: The Power to Help

Oct. 10, 2017
The hurricanes that assaulted Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands were a reminder of the power that nature can have over us — and the critical role the electrical...