Florida Reps Announce Merger to Cover State Plus Caribbean and Export Market

Two major electrical manufacturer rep agencies in Florida have announced plans to join forces. Effective June 1, GCA Electrical Lighting, Tampa, and Electrical Marketing Services, Altamonte Springs, will operate as GCA-EMS, based in Tampa.

Principals of the new electrical manufacturers representative organization are John Gunn, Jamey Yore and Joe Tumlin.

In announcing the merger, John Gunn said, “These are indeed challenging economic times, and we feel now is the perfect opportunity to merge the two businesses covering all the contractor/industrial segments of Florida including OEMs, MROs, commercial and domestic exporters. This decision brings together companies that are philosophically alike that will serve the Florida electrical marketplace in a way no other agency has previously.”

The new organization will cover the traditional Florida contract territory plus maintain a large presence with the domestic exporters in south Florida, as well as the Caribbean Basin.

GCA, founded in 1988, has represented manufacturers in both the commercial and industrial markets. EMS, founded by Joe Yore in 1983, was purchased by his son Jamey in 2005.

Gunn will serve as president in charge of day-to-day operations; Yore, vice president–industrial; and Tumlin vice president–commercial. David Morrison will head the agency’s commodity department, Galen Strannigan, former Florida district sales manager for Thomas & Betts, will serve as industrial sales manager, and Robin Conway, former Southeast sales manager for Crescent/Stonco, will be in charge of the newly established lighting division.

GCA-EMS also will have 10 inside sales people and two distinct and separate outside sales teams. —Jack Foster