Distributor Briefs

By TWICE Staff On Mar 21 2011 - 4:01am

CPD Opens New DC

BEAVERTON, ORE. — Custom Plus Distributing (CPD) has opened a new distribution center and showroom here near Portland. The new facility is the third for the 15-year-old distributor, which supplies CE specialty dealers in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Montana, Hawaii, northern California and western Nevada.

“Dealers have been telling us for several years they need us to open a location in the Portland area,” said president Bob Oliver. “I am grateful that Custom Plus continued to grow through the general economic downturn.”

Like its sister facilities, the Beaverton location features a 6,000-square-foot warehouse and a showroom used for dealer training and to highlight the company’s A/V, security and installation lines. CPD is a founding member of the Digital Delivery Group (DDG), a consortium of regional value-added CE specialty distributors.

Stampede Gets More Working Capital

AMHERST, N.Y. — Stampede, a value-added distributor of professional audio/video (ProAV) solutions, has inked a new agreement with longtime lender HSBC Bank to provide 75 percent more working capital to the firm. The credit-line increase follows a strong year for Stampede, with revenues up 25 percent, mostly in existing product lines, and 45 percent unit growth in the core projector and flat panel categories. The company also grew its gross margin by 100 basis points.

“[Our] consultative approach to sales, in addition to further development of product mix, has propelled Stampede’s margin growth in a difficult economic environment,” noted Kevin Kelly, Stampede president and COO.

More recently, Stampede added nine sales people in last four months, and this year plans to open new offices with dealer training centers in Columbus, Ohio, and Seattle; publish a 750-page catalog and mount a 14-city dealer show tour; provide more live and online training through a partnership with InfoComm; and target growth in Latin America and Canada.

Capitol Begins CLI Expo Registration

EAGAN, MINN. — Capitol, a leading CE distributor for residential systems and light commercial contractors, has begun registration for its 2011 Capitol Learning Institute (CLI) Expo, which will be held May 1-2 at the Oak Ridge Conference Center in Chaska, Minn. The educational event will feature demonstrations of the technology market’s “most exciting, indemand products” and discussions by marketing leaders about business practices affecting the CE and customer install marketplace, the distributor said. The $89.95 registration fee covers admission for both days.

More than 70 classes from more than 50 vendors will be presented, along with a Technology Showcase featuring product presentations from such leading manufacturers as Artison, Lutron, Monster, Russound, Panasonic and Xantech. For more information, visit www.capitolsales.com or contact Christi Gauby at1-(800) INSTALL, ext. 125, or at cgauby@capitolsales.com.