It’s certainly not easy staying on top of the mad rush of innovation in the tech and appliance industries, which keeps the nation’s distributors on their toes.
As Helge Fisher, executive director of the Catalyst AV distributor group noted, “Our 11-member network never stops improving. They have a total of 24 locations and serve more than 16,000 professional integration specialists, [with] new appointments, expos, training seminars, grand openings and new product lines constantly happening.”
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Among the latest Catalyst news: mid-Atlantic member Tech Source/NuTech Group has brought in industry veteran Chris Clements as a manufacturer’s rep.
Clements came to the Montgomeryville, Pa.-based business from Judge Technology Solutions, a commercial integrator, where he served as an account executive for the past five years, and before that spent 10 years as an account manager and sales engineer at World Wide Stereo, the acclaimed Pennsylvania-area A/V and custom-installation specialty chain.
D&H Distributing has also made room for one more. Joining the 99-year-old business is retail industry veteran Trevor May, who comes aboard as executive director of vendor management.
Capitol Sales has an addition of a different sort: The full-line tech distributor has added the complete selection of Pioneer and Pioneer Elite home A/V products to its line card, effective last month.
Elsewhere, Columbia, S.C.-based Climatic Home Products is rolling out Haier-brand TVs and Crosley appliances to six states; will be hosting live cooking events around the country to showcase Vision Grills, a recent line addition; and is looking to open a new distribution facility in Texas, with a formal announcement expected this quarter.
No moss is growing beneath Scottsdale, Ariz.-based AVAD either. “It’s an exciting time at AVAD as we have recently opened new facilities in San Diego, Minneapolis, Houston, Atlanta and Boston, as well as three new hub warehouses in Phoenix, Baltimore, and Chicago,” reported customer experience management director Seth Evenson.
And as if that’s not enough, “We’ve recently launched AVAD Depot, providing pick-up locations for customers across the U.S., reaching both existing and new markets,” he said. The Depot concept “allows us to deliver product quicker than ever, serve more locations and reach more dealers,” he explained.
Also opening a new distribution center, this time in Miami, is DSI Systems. The new facility will allow local retail customers to pick up equipment for same- and next-day installations, and provide next-day delivery throughout Florida.
“The addition of this distribution center gives us the opportunity to reach loyal customers in a timelier and cost-efficient manner, said president/CEO Doug Robison.
For Petra Industries, the big news came from the biggest retailer in the world. “We were pleased to receive an exclusive E-commerce Supplier of the Year award from Walmart this year,” Petra president Tate Morgan proudly reported. “The award was [presented] for Petra’s demonstrated ability to provide and expand Walmart’s overall product assortment and provide great product content,” he said.
Global mobile distributor Brightstar is no slouch either when it comes to industry recognition. Last month the Ethisphere Institute, a worldwide leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, recognized Brightstar as a 2017 World’s Most Ethical Company for the first time. Brightstar joined 123 other businesses representing 52 industry sectors across 19 countries, but was one of only three companies cited within the telecommunications industry.
Meanwhile, 21st Century Distributing, a member of the PowerHouse Alliance network, is gearing up for its third annual Integration Innovation roadshow. The company will be hitting the trail May 1 and making five two-day stops all month long throughout the Southeast, and will be on the road again June 13-16 when it exhibits at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) in Nashville.
Coming up on New Age Electronics’ calendar is its annual Dealer Summit Conference, designed to give retailers the competitive edge for the back half of the year. The two-day event will be headed to Las Vegas in July, where attendees will learn the latest on the smart-home and e-sports segments, and glean overall industry insights to help retailers win in today’s marketplace.
