Volume 8, Issue 3 - July 2015
The Supplier
WESTERN UNITED is again #1 in SALES PER EMPLOYEE
The Electrical Wholesaling magazine’s June edition has named Western United as the top electrical distributor in the country for sales per employee ($3,200,000 per employee).
Western United has been in the top three listing for sales per employee since the magazine first began publishing their listing in 2005. This accomplishment is a testament to the strong loyalty that WUE’s members have shown in purchasing their needed electrical construction and maintenance materials and tools from the company that they own. Of significant note, a total of 7 EUDA distributors (cooperatively owned distributors) were listed in the top ten listing for sales per employee. In addition to the number one ranking, WUE was also ranked #76 in terms of overall sales.
WUE UPDATE
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative in Taos, NM , Southwest Transmission Cooperative in Benson, AZ and Overton Power in Overton, NV have joined Western United as the 60th, 61st and 62nd members.
Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative in Mountainair, NM has become the 29th member of WUE’s Inventory Management program.
A recent webinar on the Evolution of Overhead Distribution Insulators was hosted by Hendrix Molded Products. The Hendrix polyethylene insulators are fast becoming the preferred overhead insulators. Guaranteed for life, the product easily outlasts porcelain (it won’t chip, crack or shatter and is UV stabilized) and has become more cost competitive.
Yampa Valley is the latest cooperative in the mountain states area to begin a Novinium cable injection program.
High West Energy LaPlata Electric and Yampa Valley Electric are the latest cooperatives to purchase the Survalent SCADA system.
Tim Heberlein has joined the WUE WEST Group as a Substation/Transmission Sales Specialist.
Western United has announced that their 2015 open house will be held on Wednesday October 14 at the Brighton, CO warehouse location. A total of 64 vendors attended the last event in 2013. Invites will be sent out shortly.
New Products
NORDIC has introduced the 9K Box Pad. The new box pad is made to accommodate large three phase transformers (up to 9,000 lbs.) that fit a flat top surface area measuring 75” wide by 69” deep. The cable compartment is 48” wide by 16” deep. For ease of lifting, lifting eyes are standard on the units. The units are available in either 18” or 36” high
Varentec
Varentec, has introduced a new product that enables utilities to more easily and inexpensively correct low voltage issues without having to install capacitor banks (i.e. irrigation loads, solar installs etc). Their ENGO V10 unit is hung on a pole (weighs only 35 lbs), up to 240V, can correct 2-10 volts of voltage correction, and is only $2500.00 . The device can reduce customer complaints about low voltage and flicker, reduce overloaded transformers, correct voltage disturbances and power quality issues particularly on long feeders. The unit can sense and report voltage, has local data storage and can communicate via cellular or be DMS integrated.
See your WUE rep for more information.
Sterling Locks (a division of Engineering Unlimited) continues to offer their Junior Keyed Padlocks which are made of zinc plated steel for corrosion and weather resistance. The locks can be keyed-alike for use across a utility’s system. The shackle diameter is ¼”. Very competitively priced versus disposable locks.
Belden the parent company of Hirschmann can help a utility choose the architecture, security policies and devices to create a robust cyber security policy for substations that includes preventive security, network design security, active security, detective security and corrective security. They offer a free substation ethernet infrastructure design check-up that includes the security evaluations . To arrange for the check-up, call 1-855- 400-9071. A white paper “Cyber Security in electrical Substations” is also available from Belden.