Eaton wins $16-million contract at University of Michigan hospital
Eaton won a contract to help design and construct the electrical system for the University of Michigan’s new hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. The company is providing a wide range of intelligent electrical equipment and turnkey engineering services to establish a foundation of safe, resilient and sustainable power at the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion at University of Michigan Health.
Eaton is providing advanced power distribution equipment, back-up power protection solutions, turnkey project support and training for facility operations and maintenance staff. The project includes an Eaton-engineered utility substation, more than 100 factory-assembled Integrated Facility Systems switchboards to minimize valuable footprint and installation time, and Eaton Arc Quenching Switchgear that reduces incident energy to preserve critical uptime and advance safety.
The new 264-bed adult inpatient facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 and will help alleviate growing patient demand at the organization’s primary medical facility in Ann Arbor. According to the university, the 12-story, 690,000-sq-ft facility is also on track in its pursuit to achieve the LEED Platinum certification for sustainable health care design and includes flexible energy systems ready for the future transition to renewable energy sources.
AD sets Q1 member sales record
Affiliated Distributors (AD), Wayne, PA, said member sales in the first three months of 2023 reached a new Q1 record of $18.3 billion, an increase of +6% across 14 divisions and three countries. Purchases by member companies from AD suppliers reached $4.63 billion. Net distributions to members grew +11% in the quarter to $386.3 million. Same-store member sales increased +12%, led by +19% growth in AD’s U.S. Electrical Division and its Bearings & Power Transmission Division. Same store sales were positive for every AD Division when measured in their own currency.
AD CEO Bill Weisberg said in the press release, “Just like other periods where there’s been elevated consolidation activity, independents flourish. Plus, we welcomed 16 new independents to the AD community in the quarter, while existing AD members purchased an additional 14 companies.”
Codale opens Idaho branch
Codale Electric/Sonepar opened a new branch in Nampa, ID. “Idaho continues to be one of the fastest-growing markets in the United States,” said Todd Saunders, president of Codale, in the press release. “We see a lot of commercial industry coming into the Boise market, which gives Codale a solid platform for growth.”
“Codale is going through a digital transformation,” said John Bennett, branch manager of the new Nampa store, in the release. “Along with the products and solutions our new physical branch brings in service to customers, we also aim to provide an omnichannel experience creating a seamless interaction with Codale,” he added. “We can do business with them how, when and where they want — physical or digital.”
The new Nampa, ID branch is located at 2619 Sundance Rd., Nampa, ID 83651.
Founded in 1975, Codale serves contractors, solar installers, industrial facilities and OEMs through 16 branches across Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and now Idaho.
Construction job openings decline in March by 63,000
The construction industry had 341,000 job openings in March, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased by 63,000 last month and are down by 72,000 from the same time last year.
“The March JOLTS data indicate a significant decline in open positions in the construction industry,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu in the press release. “Job openings fell to their second-lowest level since mid-2021. The 3.7% of construction workers who were laid off or discharged in March is the highest rate since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 9.6 million jobs openings in March across all industries was the lowest number since April 2021.
“Only 9.4% of ABC members expect their staffing levels to decrease over the next six months, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index,” said Basu. “Given this relatively upbeat outlook from ABC contractors and the fact that the residential segment lost jobs in March, weakness in the single-family homebuilding sector likely accounts for much of the decrease in job openings. With interest rates elevated and set to rise again at the Federal Reserve’s May meeting, these dynamics should remain firmly in place over the next few months.”
City Electric Supply opens branch in fast-growing Spring Hill, TN
Thirty minutes outside of Nashville, Spring Hill, TN, is recognized as the fourth fastest-growing city in Tennessee, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. To help keep up with the development the area is seeing, City Electric Supply (CES) has opened a location in Spring Hill. The branch is open and ready to serve the community after a two-year long build out process.
The 9,800-sq-ft facility is complete, open and ready to serve the Spring Hill area. This electrical supply house is one of the first in the city and can be found off the Saturn Parkway. Anyone who drives by can see the building lit up on the hill.
Branch Manager Korey Harris said in the press release, “We’re here, we’re open and we’re in an amazing location. The parkway is right outside of our windows. At night, people can see our building lit up. We’re like a light on top of a hill, and the building does its own advertising that way.”