Rep & NEMRA News

Ewing-Foley Inc. to rep Condumex in the western United States
Ewing-Foley Inc. (EFI), Cupertino, CA,  will now represent Condumex in its Southwest, Northwest, and Mountain regions. A big part of the announcement is that Hodges Southwest (HSW), a long-established Condumex agent servicing the Texas and Oklahoma markets, will join forces with EFI under a separate joint venture (JV) structure.

Under the JV agreement, EFI will acquire select line and personnel assets from HSW to bolster its market presence and expand its solution offerings in the Texas/Oklahoma market. EFI will also provide its back-end sales, marketing, and business systems to streamline HSW’s operations — facilitating smoother product fulfillment, order management and customer service. Meanwhile, HSW will continue to offer warehousing and sales consulting services, leveraging its existing relationships and logistical expertise to maintain efficient processes and deliver superior customer support throughout the sales cycle. Mike McCollum, VP and managing partner at EFI, will oversee the joint venture and Condumex integration activities.

EFI has expanded its regional coverage significantly over the past few years through JVs, mergers and acquisitions. The deals have included Denver’s Ryall Group in 2022; Arizona’s EDG Reps in 2017; Miller Electrical Sales, Phoenix, AZ, in 2016; and ElectriGroup, Sacramento, CA,  in 2010.
“We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Condumex in the western U.S.,” said Gary Lessing, CEO of EFI in the press release. “We are equally pleased to be able to leverage Hodges’ 25 years of experience selling and providing logistics support for Condumex in the Texas and Oklahoma markets. This, coupled with our existing in-territory wire and cable resources, will give us a rapid start in supporting Condumex’s U.S. expansion efforts.”

“Joining forces with EFI will take Hodges to an entirely new level of reach and impact,” added Tommy Hodges, founder and CEO of Hodges SW in the release. “By leveraging EFI’s existing sales systems infrastructure — and continuing to provide warehousing and sales consulting services — we’ll be able to offer our clients faster, broader, and more efficient solutions.”

Alex Sanchez, president of Condumex, was very complimentary of EFI’s regional coverage and the sales and operational resources it devotes to wire and cable. “It’s exceptionally rare to find an agency of EFI’s caliber become available — one that spans such a vast portion of the U.S. market and brings a highly trained wire and cable sales force under one roof,” Sanchez said in the press release. “Our ownership recognized this unique opportunity and seized it eagerly. We couldn’t be more excited to forge this new partnership.”

Condumex serves as the marketing and sales arm of Grupo Condumex and is responsible for promoting, distributing and providing customer support for a diverse range of high-quality product lines. Established in Texas in 1987, Condumex has supplied the North American market with products designed and manufactured to meet or exceed industry standards and customer requirements. Today, Condumex offers an extensive portfolio including power cables, building wire, magnet wire, telecom wire and cable, special purpose cables and mining cables.

In other news at Ewing-Foley, the company will represent Service Wire Co. in California and northwestern Nevada. Ewing-Foley said in a press release that this strategic alignment enhances its ability to deliver a comprehensive wire and cable solutions to channel partners, contractors and end-users throughout the region, and that partnering with Service Wire, a manufacturer of wire and cable products for over 50 years, is a natural step in its mission to bring value-driven solutions to customers.

 "We here at Service Wire are excited to partner with Ewing Foley as our manufacturers’ representative agency for California and Reno, Nevada,” said Jeff Anderson, business development leader, Western Region at Service Wire. “Their proven expertise, strong market presence and commitment to excellence align seamlessly with our dedication to delivering high-quality wire and cable solutions. This collaboration positions us to better serve our customers, expand our market reach and achieve new levels of success in the region.”

The Agency: Sales Thru Solutions, Wood Dale, IL, now represents Cree Lighting in the Chicago metropolitan area

Lester Sales, Indianapolis, IN, will now represent OmniCable’s full product portfolio across southern Illinois and eastern Missouri. Lester Sales has represented manufacturers in the Midwest electrical market since 1958.

ElectroRep, a division of Electris360, announced that Todd Landis will be stepping into a new leadership role within the ElectroRep team as Director – Vertical Markets and Teri Youngblood has been promoted to Director – Outside Sales. Landis will help further refine and focus ElectroRep’s efforts within vertical markets that have been identified in collaboration with ElectroRep’s manufacturer partners.
For the past 16 years, Landis has made significant contributions to the growth of market share in the Inland Empire/Palm Desert and Orange County territories through his work as an outside salesperson. He will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of ElectroRep’s vertical market strategies across the West Region, which encompasses California and northern Nevada.

In Youngblood’s new role, she will be responsible for leading and managing the outside sales /field sales team of ElectroRep. She brings more than 25 years of experience in the electrical industry, with over 11 years of dedicated service at ElectroRep. According to the Electris360 press release, her leadership has been crucial in driving market share growth in the San Diego territory as an outside salesperson. She will now take on a broader role, actively engaging across ElectroRep’s entire geographic coverage area, including California and northern Nevada.

ElectroRep, RB Sales Corp., Hiawatha, IA, and Fields Electrical Sales, Lebanon, Ohio, are part of Forward Solutions, which provides  its rep firms with a team of business veterans with expertise in business strategy, business intelligence, human resources, IT, marketing and finance, so they can concentrate on driving sales expansion in their local markets.

LATEST NEMRA NEWS

NEMRA  Lighting Division names industry execs to advisory council
The National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA) Lighting Division, Carmel, IN,  unveiled the formation of its inaugural advisory council, a group of industry leaders selected for their expertise, innovation and commitment to advancing the future of the lighting sector.
“We are deeply honored by the willingness of these distinguished leaders to support and guide the NEMRA Lighting Division as we chart a bold course for the future,” said Jeff Bristol, Divisional VP of NEMRA Lighting, in the press release. “Their insights and influence will be instrumental in driving NEMRA Lighting’s growth, strengthening our value proposition and solidifying our position as the preeminent force in the lighting industry.”

The advisory council will provide critical guidance on emerging trends, market evolution and the latest technologies shaping the lighting landscape. With their expertise, council members will help chart NEMRA Lighting’s strategic direction, ensuring the division not only keeps pace with the industry's rapid transformation but also leads the charge in meeting the evolving needs of its members. The council will focus on advancing NEMRA’s foundational pillars: advocacy, training and development, and networking opportunities. These key areas are vital to NEMRA Lighting’s mission to provide unmatched support to lighting agencies while fostering stronger, more collaborative partnerships between agents and manufacturers.

“We’re excited to harness the collective knowledge, resources, and strategic partnerships of our advisory council to deliver game-changing solutions and unparalleled support to our members,” said Bristol in the release. “Together, we will elevate the lighting industry by delivering specialized resources, advancing industry knowledge and providing the advocacy necessary for success in today’s complex and competitive market.”

NEMRA Lighting is dedicated to empowering lighting & controls representatives, agencies and manufacturers to succeed in a fast-evolving market. By providing critical advocacy, cutting-edge educational resources and networking opportunities, NEMRA Lighting is uniquely positioned to foster stronger collaboration between agents and manufacturers, fueling growth and driving innovation within the lighting industry.

Here are the members of the advisory council:
• Jay Andrews – Co-Founder and principal, Next Generation Lighting 
• Jenny Brust – Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, H.E. Williams, Inc. 
• Brian Donlon – Vice President & General Manager, Sales Operations, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. 
• Tim Kelley – President & CEO, IlluminateNE 
• John Palk – President & CEO, SESCO Lighting
• Mike Ramthun – Vice President, Distribution Solutions, Davis & Associates, Inc. 
• Kris Steiger – President, Schaeffer Marketing Group 
• Chip Taylor – Chief Commercial Officer, Current 
• Tom Thomson – Founder & CEO, SCI Lighting Solutions 
For more information on the NEMRA Lighting Division or for media inquiries, please contact Mary Banter ([email protected]).

NEMRA  announces appointments to board of directors & NMG
NEMRA appointed one officer to its board of directors and three new members to the executive committee of the NEMRA Manufacturers Group (NMG), effective Feb. 2025.
Board of Directors. Darren Gerrietts, Bay Electrical Solutions, Fox Point, WI, will serve on the NEMRA board of directors.

NMG Executive Committee. The NMG Executive Committee also welcomes three industry leaders:
• Adrienne Sander, Vice President of Sales, Milbank
• Chris Chickanosky, CEO, Halco Lighting Technologies
• Richard Temblador, VP of Product and Business Development, Arlington Industries