Category Archives: Industry 411

The Baker Hughes Rig Count – The Barometer for the Oil & Gas Industry

Beyond Wire & Cable, Industry 411

Like many businesses, electrical distributors located in specific regions of the country are key suppliers to the oil & gas sector. From the North Slope of Alaska down to the Eagle Ford Shale Play in South Texas, the energy industry can be a significant market driver within the electrical supply chain. With recent declines in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the Saudi-Russia price war, the oil .

Keeping Up Sales in a Down Market

With all that is happening in the news lately, a global recession is a distinct possibility. The coronavirus outbreak has forced a multitude of business interruptions which are certain to have an impact on our economy. It’s too soon to predict the severity or the timing of this, but it is possible to begin preparations to help minimize the effects of an economic downturn. You may not be able .

Project Partnerships

Beyond Wire & Cable, Industry 411

The supply chain solution to help you succeed! by Ted Jolly, DWC Marketing Manager When it comes to wire & cable, we’ve seen it all here at Distributor Wire & Cable (DWC). Most of the time, our Account Managers can look at a bill of materials and determine what type of project your end user is putting together. They often use this information to offer recommendations to help maximize .

The Changing Role of the Master Distributor

A brief Q & A with MDM Magazine Recently, members of the DWC leadership team were interviewed by Modern Distribution Management (MDM) on the topic of how the landscape of master distribution is changing. We were honored to have DWC included among the three companies that contributed to the discussion (the other two companies were a personal protective equipment supplier and a HVAC master distributor). The topics examined got .

Have a Master Plan!

Partnering with a master distributor can make your wire & cable product line more profitable. For electrical distributors, having the right supply chain solutions in place is an important factor that leads to higher profits. The right supplier partnerships can streamline order processes, maximize resources, and positively impact your bottom line. A strategic vendor alliance can become an extension of your business and provide you with a like-minded partner .

Q&A with Travis Williams

DWC Events, Industry 411

Get to know DWC’s new CEO Q: What was it about the opportunity to join DWC that appealed to you for this next chapter of your career? When I was approached, a few things about DWC really stood out to me. First and foremost – the culture. This is a great opportunity to work with an energetic, smart, and truly customer focused team. The positive things that I’d always .

DWC Appoints Travis Williams as Chief Executive Officer

Beyond Wire & Cable, DWC Events, Industry 411

Distributor Wire & Cable (DWC) is excited to announce the appointment of Travis Williams as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Travis will assume leadership of the company and spearhead DWC’s strategic and operational direction moving forward. Travis replaces company founder, Bryce Huett, in this role, as Bryce has recently stepped away from day-to-day business to spend more time with his family in Texas. “At DWC, one of our .

The 2020 Vision for Copper

Uncertainty and growth fears loom large for the red metal. Looking back at 2019, copper prices were heavily impacted by concerns over ongoing trade negotiations and a global slowdown of manufacturing activities. These geopolitical and trade concerns contributed to uncertainty in the marketplace that kept overall pricing at bay. A strong supply side contribution from the mining industry also provided modest support that helped stabilize 2019 copper price .

Changing our Name – Changing the Game!

DWC Events, Industry 411, Tray Cable

You may have noticed a new look to some of the emails and communications that you’ve received from us recently. DWC is now DWTC That’s right, DWC has added the letter “T” to our name to be known as “Distributor Wire & Tray Cable” (DWTC). We are excited about this new moniker and what it means for our valued distributor partners! A few months ago, the decision was made .

Build Better Customer Relationships

Beyond Wire & Cable, Industry 411

Simple tactics for distributors to expand trust, affinity and profits from your best customers. As someone who works for a company focused on providing incredible service, I’ve witnessed firsthand how important it is to connect with customers. Building relationships is key to learning your customers’ needs and expanding the level of trust that they have in your electrical distributor. This trust is essential to ensuring that these customers keep .

5 Time Management Tips for Electrical Distribution Salespeople

Beyond Wire & Cable, Industry 411

Any salesperson that works in the electrical distribution space knows that there never seems to be enough hours in the work week to check everything off your to-do list. On any given day, you’re likely being pulled in numerous directions while trying to get work done between meetings, emails, and administrative tasks. To help you work more efficiently, here are 5 simple tips that can increase productivity and maximize .

DWC’s 7 Year Sabbatical

Beyond Wire & Cable, Industry 411

An excellent perk to reward hard work! For any company, hiring, developing, and retaining good employees is essential to business success. A staff of seasoned, experienced professionals who have mastered their work over several years is better equipped to provide outstanding service to customers. When a company operates with a revolving roster of new hires, the “experience factor” tends to be missing and customer service suffers. There’s much to .

Good Service is Good Business

Customer Service Tips for Electrical Distribution Sales Teams In the current climate, customer experience is one of the main battlegrounds for inside, outside and counter sales teams (often out-ranking factors like product and price). This can be especially true within the field of electrical sales, where customers are more informed than ever before, have expectations that are constantly increasing, and are perfectly willing to switch to one of your .

Prepare to Have a Relaxing Vacation This Summer!

Beyond Wire & Cable, Industry 411

For many, the summer season is vacation season. It’s the time of year when you and other staff members at your electrical distributor might consider taking some time to travel and be with friends and family. Because work doesn’t simply stop while you’re away, taking a vacation can often be stressful. However, with a little communication and preparation, you can set yourself up for a relaxing, well-deserved break and .

Health & Wellness in the Workplace

Beyond Wire & Cable, Industry 411

The modern day work environment is evolving and many electrical distributors are increasing their focus on employee wellness. Distributor Wire & Cable (DWC) advocates its employees to Live Healthy inside and outside of the workplace. A company wellness program can promote productivity and retention while increasing morale and engagement. Start a stretching or exercise routine There are many ways to promote a healthy lifestyle in the workplace. One example .

5 Books that Every Electrical Distributor Salesperson Should Read

As the old saying goes – readers are leaders. If you have a sales role at an electrical distributor and you’re committed to improvement, you likely realize the importance of developing your skill set to be more effective. Books are one of the best knowledge resources to hone your craft. While new titles are constantly emerging, there are some sales books that are simply timeless. Whether you’re new to .

Why Company Culture Matters For The Electrical Distributor

Your electrical distributor has a unique vision, operational style, and its own way of doing things. These elements, among others, help form your company culture. Culture impacts different aspects of your organization. It plays a key role in determining the way your business operates, and how it’s perceived by your customers. From your hiring process and employee engagement, to productivity and service delivery — company culture plays an integral .

Get In There Early!

For project business, becoming involved in the planning stages can lead to increased profitability for the electrical distributor. In the increasingly competitive world of electrical distribution, sales are often lost if salespeople wait around for orders or RFQs from contractors and/or end users. Increasingly, distributors must become engaged early to best position themselves to secure project business. This means developing an understanding of not only the projects themselves, but .

5 Ways to Add Value as an Electrical Distributor

In most markets, electrical distribution is a highly competitive space with wholesalers in direct competition for counter sales and project business. A wide range of factors determine which distributors get the order among contractors, integrators and end users. One of the best ways to capture market share in a competitive arena like this is to offer more value than the “other guys”. Here are 5 ideas to increase your .

Wire & Fables: The Kingdom of Copper

Industry 411, Wire & Cable Facts

Once upon a time, in The Kingdom of Copper, there was a bustle amongst the royals and the nobles. Stories about wire & cable were being told, and uncertainty spread quickly. The Kingdom knew it had to be stopped, and they began their journey to set the record straight with tales from Wire & Fables. Chapter 1: The Prince & The Part Numbers There were so many part numbers .

DWC STRIKES DEAL WITH GLOBAL SUPPLIER

We are proud to announce an exclusive partnership with Tele-Fonika for medium voltage cables in the U.S. Western territories. As a Master Distributor of specialty wire and cable, we are looking forward to distributing Tele-Fonika’s premium quality cables to our customers. Both of our companies are growing quickly and pride ourselves in quality and customer service making the partnership an easy decision. “Tele-Fonika has been a great supplier for us in .

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC as most commonly known was discovered by sheer accident in the 19th century. First in 1835 by Henri Victor Regnault and then in 1872 by Eugen Baumann. But it wasn’t until 1926 when the B.F. Goodrich Company developed the method to plasticize PVC by blending a number of additives with it that it really took hold. This allowed the PVC to be processed much more .

Chilean Earthquake & Copper Pricing

The country of Chile, located in South America, was rocked by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on February 27, 2010. The 8.8 magnitude earthquake had a devastating effect on the country and could mean another sharp increase in copper over the coming months. Chile is one of the largest producers of copper. Estimates have it producing over 1/3 of the world’s supply each year. The earthquake shut .

Who Is A Master Distributor?

The term “Master Distributor” is thrown around a lot these days in the electrical industry, yet it seems that many people are unsure of what it actually means. Over the next few minutes we will try to clarify the meaning of being a master distributor. We will go over the qualifications of being a master distributor and how they vary from a traditional distributor, as well as the biggest .

Wind Energy Becoming Focus For Wire & Cable Industry

Due to the increasing popularity and need for alternative energy sources, Distributor Wire & Cable has decided to stock inventory specifically used for the wind farm industry. Beyond just a business decision, DWC also viewed this as part of their efforts towards being socially responsible. “Although we’re not a pioneer in this growing form of energy, we do believe it’s a necessity to search for alternative energy sources outside .

The History of Copper

The chemical element Copper, with the symbol Cu and the atomic number of 29, is one of the first known metals and possibly the most important discovery in the evolution and development of the modern day human race. This pinkish or peachy colored metal is one of a few to occur naturally in nature as an uncompounded mineral. For this reason, it has been known to some of the .

Shielded Cable: Types of Shielded Cables

Shielded cable is offered in a variety of wire and cable products such as shielded tray cable, shielded cat 5 cable and VFD cable. The most common reason for a shielded cable is to cut down on cross talk between conductors, neighboring cables and any other electromagnetic energy that the cable encounters. A shielded cable allows a signal that is being carried to transfer cleanly and without loss of .

Wire Striping: Stripe Wire and Striped Cable Services

With the ever increasing expansion of global technology in our world today it has become necessary for countries including the U.S. to seek out and obtain newer more productive and cost effective products or even services from around the world. It no longer takes days, weeks, or months to obtain some of the best and most advanced equipment on the market. These items can now often be procurred the .

Copper Prices: How copper prices move up and down

The single most important ingredient determining the cost of wire and cable is the current price of copper. Copper is a commodity like any other metal therefore its price is driven up or down by a myriad of factors. This article will help explain some of the most common factors that drive copper prices and hopefully spark debate on where copper prices may be headed in future years. First, .

Copper Wire Verse Aluminum Cable

This article is used to explain the differences between copper and aluminum. The two most commonly used conductors for wire and cable. Silver is the best conductor; however its high price makes its use limited to situations where high conductivity or low resistance is required. Both copper and aluminum have specific applications where one is more beneficial than the other however copper is by far more widely used in .

CV Cured VS. Mold (Lead) Cured Rubber

The debate continues regarding the use of the newer Continuous Vulcanized (CV) cured rubber or the older lead cured rubber in the construction of mining cables, with mixed results. In recent times there has been a strong push to bring CV cured jackets into the mining industry for a number of reasons including its characteristics for obvious environmental reasons. Although there are differences, they both have their pros and .

Low Smoke Zero Halogen: LSZH Cable

Low smoke zero halogen, or LSZH, refers to using compounds in the cable jacketing manufacturing process that are halogen free. Materials that contain halogens emit potentially harmful gases when burned. Halogen free cable, on the other hand, is made up of a compound called polypropylene, which will not produce a toxic smoke during combustion. Halogens are found in many common jacketing compounds such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and ethylene .

Circuit Types for Fire Alarm Cable

There are two different types of fire alarm system circuits, NPLFA and PLFA. NPLFA can operate at up to 600V with unlimited power output. A PLFA has limited voltage and power which is dictated by the listed power source.Â Basically this means that there are easier installation requirements for the PLFA circuit, however listed below is an overview for both NPLFA and PLFA. NPLFA Overcurrent protection: For conductors .