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March 1, 2008
Border States to open Branch in Rochester, Minnesota Border States Industries, Fargo, N.D., plans to open a branch in Rochester, Minn., next month. The

Border States to open Branch in Rochester, Minnesota

Border States Industries, Fargo, N.D., plans to open a branch in Rochester, Minn., next month. The new branch will operate out of a 15,000-square-foot facility and initially will employ nine employees serving the construction, industrial, utility and data communications markets, and will be an authorized Square D distributor.

“Our expansion into southern Minnesota will help us to fully serve our customers and will provide opportunities to grow our business in Minnesota, northern Iowa, and western Wisconsin,” said Tammy Miller, CEO.

The employee-owned company has more than 1,200 employees and 51 branch operations in 11 states and Mexico.

Coleman Cable to open New Distribution Facility in Wisconsin

Coleman Cable, Inc., Waukegan, Ill., plans to expand its distribution capabilities by securing a new 500,000-square-foot distribution center in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. The leased facility on approximately 28 acres of land includes approximately 490,000 square feet of warehouse space, 12,000 square feet of office space and 56 exterior truck docks.

The company plans to have the facility in operation next month. In addition to providing added capacity to accommodate the company's growth plans, the new distribution facility will allow consolidation of existing distribution facilities in Indianapolis, Ind., Gurnee, Ill., and Waukegan, Ill.

“The Pleasant Prairie location is needed in order to meet growing demands due to the company's increasing sales and continued growth,” said Gary Yetman, president and CEO. “This will mark another important milestone for Coleman and should enable us to be more efficient in our distribution operations, to take advantage of recent developments in supply chain systems, and, ultimately and most importantly, to better serve our customers. The Pleasant Prairie location will allow the company to consolidate distribution facilities and reduce costs, while simultaneously establishing a platform to continue our track record of providing first-in-class logistics, delivery and customer service.”

The transition of the centers in Indianapolis, Gurnee, and Waukegan will take place over the next several months and is expected to be transparent for customers of Coleman.

Mayer Electric Supply opens ft. Walton Location

Mayer Electric Supply Co., based in Birmingham, Ala., opened its newest branch in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. The location occupies 10,000 square feet, which gives Mayer plenty of space to provide service as a full-line electrical distributor. Their location, a former cabinet shop, is between two major arteries, Beal Parkway and Eglin Parkway.

“I am so pleased that we could fill in the gap between our branches in Pensacola and Panama City,” said Rick McMichael, a veteran of 23 years in the business and Mayer's Ft. Walton Beach branch manager. “This now gives customers eight convenient Mayer locations serving the Gulf Coast, stretching from Panama City to Gulfport. Our new team, which has many years of local market experience and electrical distribution background, is pleased to be serving customers and friends, old and new.”

The location boasts an on-site inventory of $500,000, with a $4 million inventory within a two-hour truck run from the neighboring Mayer locations. The counter area is designed to allow efficient display of many labor and energy-saving products used in the electrical construction and maintenance industry.

Walters Wholesale Expands to Corona

Walters Wholesale Electric Co., based in Signal Hill, Calif., plans to open a new location in Corona later this month. The company leased a 15,000-square-foot space, and cited Corona's central location in Southern California as the reason for the move.

“Locating to Corona allowed us to build a bridge between our 27 other locations in Orange County and the Inland Empire,” said Bill Durkee, president of Walters Wholesale Electric. “The Corona branch is the perfect central location to help us serve our customers with quick and convenient access to the products they need.”

The Corona location will be the first electric wholesaler to cater to the will-call needs of contractors in the city, the company said.

Fromm opens Third Lighting & Appliance Concept Center

Fromm Electric Supply-Reading, Pa., is opening a design center in Allentown, Pa., featuring over a dozen live displays showcasing lighting, appliances, cabinetry, countertops and plumbing fixtures.

The new design center is an extension of Fromm's trade-only resource expansion plan, with kitchen and bath exhibits designed (and installed) in cooperation with some of Fromm's contractor customers. “Such a scenario takes partnering to a whole new level”, says Jon Gerhart, Fromm's vice president-Residential Solutions Group. “We can now provide customers with a complete, visual experience.”

Michael Smith, area vice president for Lutron Electronics, Coopersburg, Pa. added, “Fromm Electric's new Design Center in Allentown is a must-see destination for anyone involved in building or remodeling a home. Homeowners and contractors need a better way to be shown how good lighting and controls can change the look and feel of a house, and progressive companies like Fromm are recognizing that ‘experience selling’ is the direction our industry must go in the future.”

Fromm operates two other design center locations in Sinking Spring and Harrisburg, Pa., along with eight electrical supply branches in central and eastern Pennsylvania.

Grainger opens in Eden Prairie

Grainger, Lake Forest, Ill., opened a new 27,000-square-foot facility in Eden Prairie, Minn., last month to serve the southwest metro area, according to The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The Eden Prairie facility is part of a broader expansion in the Twin Cities, which will see metro-area square footage increase 35 percent. Grainger will also be opening a new downtown Minneapolis location and recently relocated its St. Paul branch to a larger location, the company said.

Wago Expands Headquarters

WAGO Corp., Germantown, Wis., announced it had completed of the expansion of its North American headquarters. The expansion, which began in August 2007, increased WAGO's product manufacturing and storage capacity from 60,000 square feet to 75,000 square feet, complete with 36,000 product locations.

“The increased size of our organization validates to our customers that we are committed to them for the long haul; they can always rely upon us to provide the support that they deserve,” said WAGO President Tom Artmann. “This expansion allows us to provide the same strong levels of quality and accuracy. Now, we have the added benefit of delivering thousands of additional items from stock.”

Allied Wire & Cable Relocates Pa. Operations

Allied Wire & Cable (AWC) relocated its international headquarters from Phoenixville, Pa., to Collegeville, Pa., in January. The company cited unprecedented growth as the reason for its move into a newly built 82,000-square-foot office and warehouse facility, which more than doubles the size of its previous facility of 35,000 square feet.

The new facility is a direct response to what AWC identified as its customers' greatest need: faster lead times. AWC took an extra step and invested in new machinery that will enable them to stripe, twist and turn around material faster than ever.

“Before the year is out, our motto will be “In By One, Consider it Done,” meaning all orders placed before 1 p.m. will be shipped that same day,” says Allied President Tim Flynn. “And with Allied's strategically located offices and warehouses, one-day shipping will be included for most customers.”

Along with the changes to the warehouse, the office building has tripled in size, and the technology available at the new facility has given sales reps the opportunity to have their own direct phone lines.

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