EEMAC Creates North American Electric Heating Coalition

Electro-Federation Canada's EEMAC (Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association of Canada) Council and its Electric Heating Section have created a North American Electric Heating Coalition with 15+ Canadian and U.S.  companies, both large and small. 

This group is banding together in an effort to block and stop:

The International Energy Conservation Code Committee (IECC), which recommends building code changes that would ban the use of electric heating.

Here are the understood facts: 

By a very narrow margin (6 to 5) at its last meeting, the IECC voted to change the code on electric resistance heaters. The proposed new text is as follows: 

403.7 Space Heating Equipment (Mandatory) - Electric resistance heating shall not be used for space heating.  This includes, but is not limited to, electric space heaters, electric furnaces, electric baseboard heaters, electric wall heaters and electric thermal storage.

There are some small exceptions to this, but this proposal effectively eliminates the future market for equipment that is produced by our industry. Paragraph 403 of the IECC applies to residential construction and concerns itself with electrical and mechanical systems.

It is the belief of the new Electric Heating coalition that such a recommendation is ill advised, biased and misrepresents the facts. We need our members, constituents and all those potentially affected by such a bias and unfounded position to take note and respond in force to the ICC (IECC’s governing body).

A consultant has been hired to represent this Coalition and will work with this active team who meet once a week via teleconference, to discuss this very time-sensitive issue.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please contact Wayne Edwards, Vice President, EEMAC Council at wedwards@electrofed.com, or Deborah Preston at dpreston@electrofed.com.

New Appointment at Electrozad Supply Co. Limited

William C. Smith, President of Electrozad Supply Co. (London) Limited, is pleased to announce the appointment of David W. Kruk as Vice President and General Manager, effective May 10^th, 2010.

Mr. Kruk joined Electrozad in 2005 as the General Manager of the London operation. Dave is a graduate of Fanshawe College with an Electrical Engineering Technician Diploma and has an extensive background in sales and management in the electrical and automation distribution industry.

David will also serve on the Electrozad Board of Directors and will be responsible for the overall operations of the London locations. 

EFC congratulates David on his new role and wish him well.

Commodity-based Industries to Recover Quickest: Study Reports

Not all industries will recover at the same pace from last year's global economic downturn, and some are "unlikely to fully recover," according to a study of Canadian industry released on Tuesday.

The Canadian Industrial Profile Service, a five-year forecast released by the Conference Board of Canada and Business Development Bank of Canada, forecasts production, revenue, cost and profitability between now and 2014 for six industries: electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, machinery manufacturing, oil and gas support activities, professional services and textiles and apparel. Read more.

NAED Announces 2010-2011 Board of Directors

The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) is pleased to announce its new Board of Directors for 2010-2011. Led by the NAED Chair, the Board of Directors is a dedicated group of industry leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to improve the association and the electrical distribution channel.

The 2010-2011 NAED Board Chair is Jack Henderson, Executive Vice President of Hunzicker Brothers, Inc., in Oklahoma City. His new role became official at the conclusion of the 2010 National Electrical Leadership Summit, held May 15-19 in Chicago.

Henderson has served in the industry for 40 years. Throughout his career, he has taken on many leadership positions within NAED. Henderson currently serves as Committee Chair of the NAED Government Affairs Policy Committee. He also served a long tenure on NAED's Western Region Council, acting as Vice President in 2008-2009. Henderson earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business from Oklahoma City University before joining Hunzicker Brothers in 1970. Henderson was hired as the Office Manager for the company. Prior to attaining his current position of Executive Vice President in 1989, Henderson served as the company's Credit Manager, Controller and Assistant Vice President.

Robert (Bob) Reynolds Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graybar Electric Company, Inc., in St. Louis is Chair-Elect. He will work closely with Henderson to prepare for assuming NAED board leadership in 2011-2012.

Reynolds has served in the industry for 38 years and has a long tenure with NAED. He has served several terms as Member-At-Large on the NAED Board of Directors; as the NAED Education & Research Foundation Chair in 2005-2006; and currently resides on the NAED Government Affairs Policy Committee. Graybar is a member of Channel Advantage Partnership. Reynolds earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in business and psychology from Stonehill College before joining Graybar in 1978 as a Branch Manager. Prior to attaining his current position in 2001, Reynolds served as District Manager, Senior Vice President, Communications/Data, and Senior Vice President, Electrical Business. In 2000, he was elected President and Chief Executive Officer.

Members of the 2010-2011 NAED Board of Directors are:

• Jack Henderson, NAED Board Chair, Hunzicker Brothers, Inc., Oklahoma City
• Robert A. Reynolds Jr., NAED Chair-Elect, Graybar Electric Company, Inc., St. Louis
• Burt Schraga, NAED Past Chair, Bell Electrical Supply, Santa Clara, Calif.
• Fil Cerminara, NAED Eastern Region Vice President, F & M Electric Supply Company, Inc., Danbury, Conn.
• Ray Womack, NAED South Central Region Vice President, Womack Electric Supply Company, Inc., Burlington, N.C.
• Rocklan Lawrence, NAED Western Region Vice President, National Electric Supply Co., Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.
• Dan Nitowsky, NAED Eastern Region Vice President-Elect, Mars Electric Co., Willoughby, Ohio
• Maureen Barsema, NAED South Central Region Vice President-Elect, B J Electric Supply, Inc., Madison, Wisc.
• Andrew Akers, NAED Western Region Vice President-Elect, D & S Electrical Supply Co., Pocatello, Idaho
• Daniel Dungan, NAED Finance Committee Chair, Springfield Electric Supply Company, Springfield, Ill.
• Christopher Hartmann, NAED Member-At-Large, International Electric Supply Corp., Dallas
• Charles Loeb, NAED Member-At-Large, The Loeb Electric Company, Columbus, Ohio
• Peter Bellwoar, NAED Member-At-Large, Colonial Electric Supply Co., Inc., King of Prussia, Pa.
• Pete Lemman, NAED Member-At-Large, North Coast Electric Company, Seattle
• August Sodora Jr., NAED Member-At-Large, Swift Electrical Supply Co., Inc., Teterboro, N.J.
• Sandra Rosecrans, NAED Foundation Chair, City Electric Company, Inc., Syracuse, N.Y.
• Joe Huffman, NAED Foundation Chair-Elect, Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc., Westlake Village, Calif.
• Stuart Thorn, NAED Manufacturer Representative, Southwire Company, Carrollton, Ga.
• Lawrence Stern, IDEA Vice Chair, Standard Electric Supply Co., Milwaukee, Wisc.
• Vito DiMaio, LEAD Committee Chair, North Coast Electric Company, Bend, Ore.

Walter Alcorn to Lead Environmental Affairs at Consumer Electronics Association

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announces that Walter Alcorn has been named Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Industry Sustainability. Alcorn, co-founder of the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER), is a nationally-recognized environmental consultant specializing in electronics recycling systems.

In addition to founding NCER in 2005, Alcorn led the development of the National Electronics Recycling Infrastructure Clearinghouse (NERIC), a joint effort between NCER and CEA. In 2006, he authored a study that compared compliance costs of a state-by-state versus a federal approach to electronics producer responsibility mandates and later co-founded an organization to provide compliance assistance services to electronics manufacturers subject to state and local electronics recycling mandates.

In addition to electronics recycling, Alcorn will take on other priority issues for CEA, including legislative initiatives impacting electronic product design, eco-labeling and hazardous materials restrictions.

Amy Dempster has also been promoted to Senior Manager, Governmental Affairs and Environmental Policy. She will manage a range of environmental policy issues as well as transportation and infrastructure initiatives on behalf of the industry. 

Techspan Appoints Authorized Online Distributor

Techspan Industries is pleased to announce the appointment of U.S.-based ElecDirect.com, as an authorized online distributor of Techspan products. ElecDirect.com, located in Sanborn New York, is an online Internet distributor of electrical products to alternative energy customers, OEMs, and contractors, in the USA, South America, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East.

“With the rapidly expanding pace of online Internet sales in the electrical industry, we were looking for partners to participate with in this growth sector” said Brian Power, Vice President Sales for Techspan. “ElecDirect.com has a solid U.S. and international customer base. We are excited about tapping into the worldwide online market,” said Power.

Michael Sapecky, General Manager of ElecDirect.com in New York stated, “We are already entrenched in the enclosure and panel builder markets for the solar and wind energy sector. Techspan’s extensive product line now allows us to expand into the greater electrical market. It is a natural fit. ElecDirect.com is continuing to add new suppliers to satisfy growing customer demand.”

ULC Develops S801-10 Canadian Standard on Electric Utility Workplace Electrical Safety

ULC Standards just published CAN/ULC S801-10 “Standard for Electric Utility Workplace Electrical Safety for Generation, Transmission and Distribution”. The standard applies to workers who deal with the construction, operation, maintenance and replacement of electric utility systems that are used to generate, transform, transmit, distribute and deliver electrical power or energy to consumer services or their equivalents. More on this.

Panduit Canada Appoints New Account Manager

Panduit Canada Corp. announces the appointment of Isaac J. Callaway as an Account Manager for its Network Connectivity Group, based in Calgary, AB.

Callaway has a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology, and has many years of experience as a field, NPI & manufacturing engineer. Callaway can be reached by email at cdn-ijc@panduit.com or by phone at 403-437-7279.


Stats Canada: Monthly Survey of Manufacturing, March 2010

Manufacturing sales advanced 1.2% to $44.5 billion in March. Food and motor vehicle manufacturers were the largest contributors to the gains. Read full report.

WHO Study Has no Clear Answer on Phones and Cancer

Experts who studied almost 13,000 cell phone users over 10 years, hoping to find out whether the mobile devices cause brain tumours, said last Sunday, their research gave no clear answer.

A study by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the largest ever to look at possible links between mobile phones and brain cancer, threw up inconclusive results but researchers said suggestions of a possible link demanded deeper examination.

Canada participated in this study and the University of Ottawa's Population Health organization was heavily involved.  

The following is a link to a Reuters article that centres on the World Health Organization's IARC study on cell phone health risks: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE64F0J420100516

RIM Park Event Designed to Attract Students to Trades

The Ontario Robotics Championship took place on Monday at RIM Park. This event is a three-day Ontario Technological Skills competition, which took over the sprawling recreation complex on University Avenue.

The event has $5 million worth of equipment donated and loaned, along with supplies and hundreds of volunteers to run competitions and display booths. Eaton has donated electrical equipment to skills Ontario for years, but this was the first year the company had set up a booth to talk with students walking by. Read more.

In Memoriam: Keith Desmond Herchell, Thomas & Betts

Keith Desmond peacefully passed away on April 14, 2010 at the age of 50, with his family at his side and his sense of humour intact. Keith will be missed by many friends in the electrical industry and local minor sports in Burlington. He will be fondly remembered for his sense of humour, infectious laugh and positive outlook, vowing never to give his illness enough power to ruin anyone's day. Keith's family would also like to thank all those who generously donate blood. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Cancer Assistance Program or McMaster University Leukemia Research Fund would be appreciated by the family.

EFC President Participates in Panel at Ontario Chamber of Commerce AGM

Milos Jancik, President, Electro-Federation Canada was invited to be a panelist at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce's (OCC) Annual General Meeting on May 1st. Milos took part in OCC's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): A Business Perspective panel. The panelists discussed the cross-sectoral problem of IPR and how it deeply affects the economy in terms of investments and competitiveness. The panel also informed the business community on the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ behind intellectual property rights, what businesses can and should be doing, and why both the broader business community and our governments need to do more to ensure the integrity of IPR and all that it entails. Milos was joined on the panel by Scott Inwood, Director of Commercialization, Intellectual Property Management Group, University of Waterloo; and Dan Clow, Senior Manager, National Policy, GlaxoSmithKline.

EGS Electrical Group Appoints Jeff Harris Sales Manager, Canada

The EGS Electrical Group Canada, LTD, a division of Emerson’s Industrial Automation Division in Elmira, Ontario, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Harris as Sales Manager, Canada.

Jeff brings over 25 years of experience in the electrical wholesale distribution industry in Sales & Marketing, and on a national scope as a National Sales Manager for strategic accounts for energy-saving lighting solutions. Jeff will be responsible for sales of Appleton, OZ Gedney, McGill, and Sola HD for the EGS group across Canada. His office will be located in the Elmira, Ontario factory, and can be contacted at: jeff.harris2@emerson.com.

Schneider Electric Helps Team North Create an Award-winning, Solar-powered Home

Schneider Electric recently donated Xantrex inverters, Square D Powerlogic Energy Management system, Veris current transformers, QO circuit breakers, a QO loadcentre and safety switches to Team North’s solar-powered home, North House.

North House is a recipient of the 2010 Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Design Excellence Award.  The annual OAA Awards offer Ontario architects, students and interns an opportunity to showcase their best work and increase public appreciation of the services provided by the architectural profession.

A new and innovative green housing model, North House produces more energy than it consumes and makes sustainable living attractive and rewarding. The combination of passive and active solar design, integrated energy production, customized components and mobile interactive technologies, produces an attractive high performance home that sets a new standard for solar design in Canada’s northern climate. Read more.

2010 MEET Show Deemed a Success!

The MEET (Mechanical Electrical Electronic Technology) Show that took place on May 5 and 6 at the Moncton Coliseum has been deemed a resounding success! Traffic was up over 2008, with the event welcoming 5,514 visitors through the doors during the two-day run.

Exhibitors commented on the qualified audience that this show always attracts and MEET has once again solidified itself as a must-attend industry event. Sales were made and many solid leads were gathered that will surely be followed up on in the coming months.

Exhibitors from all over Canada and the U.S. displayed the very latest equipment available to the mechanical and electrical industries. Visitors to the show commented on the diverse and high-quality products that were showcased. 

The first biennial MEET Innovation Awards were handed out on the opening morning of the show. The show owners and management would like to congratulate the winners and look forward to continuing these awards in the future:

·        Electro-Federation Canada Innovation Award – Fluke 233 presented by Fluke Electronics.

·        CIPH Innovation Award – Vitodens 200 with Lambda Pro presented by Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc.

·        IESNA Innovation Award – LED Mini Star presented by Magic Lite Ltd.

·        ASHRAE Innovation Award – Eco Cute presented by Mycom Canada.

"We are extremely pleased with the high caliber nominations that were received for our inaugural 2010 MEET Innovation Awards and the winners definitely demonstrate innovation at its finest in North America," said Mike Patterson, MEET Show Chairman.

NEMA Permitted to Intervene in Court Challenge to EPA’s Regulation of Greenhouse Gas Emission

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last week granted the motion of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and other state and national business organizations to intervene as a party in a pending case to review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources through the Clean Air Act.

The petition seeking review of the EPA’s December 7, 2009, “Endangerment Finding” determination was originally filed by the National Association of Manufacturers and seven other trade groups in February 2010. Read full press release.

Stats Canada: Canadian International Merchandise Trade, March 2010

Canada's merchandise exports declined 0.7% in March as a result of falling prices for energy products, while imports grew 2.0% on the strength of precious metals. Exports and import volumes increased during the month. Canada's trade surplus with the world narrowed to $254 million in March from $1.2 billion in February. Read more.

Consumer Reports Index Finds Americans' Rising Confidence Starting to Take Hold

Building on last month's improvements, the personal financial status of the American consumer is on the rise, according to the latest results from the Consumer Reports Index.

Confidence is gradually emerging and real improvement in retail may materialize in the coming months. Consumer Reports Past 30-Day Retail Index for May, reflective of April activity, is at 10.9, up slightly from April (10.4). May's Next 30-Day Index is at 9.0, up marginally from last month (8.3). The past 30 days witnessed a modest improvement for major appliance purchasing and a substantial seasonal lift for major yard and garden equipment. The Next 30-Day Retail Index, reflecting May, portends gains for major appliances, home electronics, and personal electronics. More on this.

BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan Launch New Western Partnership

British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta launched the New West Partnership today, creating what they call “an economic powerhouse of 9 million people with a combined GDP of more than $550 billion”.

“This represents an historic step forward for western provinces, as they work together to provide economic leadership,” said Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall. “We are combining the strength of our three vibrant economies and working together to create lasting prosperity. Our three provinces have created a model that cements the West as the economic powerhouse of Canada.”

The New West Partnership aims to create Canada’s largest interprovincial barrier-free trade and investment market, and see the three westernmost provinces work together to the benefit of workers, businesses and investors in all three provinces.

Big Changes Tipped at Panasonic and Sanyo

Reporting in Tokyo last Friday night, Panasonic said that they are set to invest $3.3 billion into developing a new energy offering built around their recent investment in Sanyo. They are also set to spend an additional $2.2 Billion over the next three years growing their consumer electronics business and that the two companies are now embracing each other in an effort to grow profits and market share.

Their energy investment will go into what Panasonic calls its "flagship" energy systems business, which also includes Panasonic's existing fuel cells unit. More on this.

“Don’t be Shocked. Buy Authentic” Campaign Launches this Month

Eaton, Schneider Electric, and Siemens have joined forces with Electro-Federation Canada to develop an awareness campaign to raise awareness of the risks and hazards associated with the influx of counterfeit and unsafe electrical products in the market. 

The campaign includes print ads, postcards and buttons. Print ads will be published in this month's editions of Electrical Business as well as their French-language counterpart, L'industrie électrique and Électricité Quebec. Packages containing information materials and awareness buttons were sent to distributors informing encouraging them to spread the word during the month of May to their customers. For more information on this campaign, click here. 

Robert C. Simmonds Receives Prestigious RABC Award of Excellence

The Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC) recently named Robert C. (Bob) Simmonds this year's recipient of the RABC Award of Excellence.

Widely regarded as one of Canada's leading wireless communications engineers, Bob has used his knowledge and know-how to lead several different wireless and electronics companies in Canada. For almost 30 years, Bob has exercised his leadership in wireless communications. He co-founded Lenbrook Group with his father, David S. Simmonds, as well as Clearnet Communications and several other companies.

Bob served as Clearnet's Chairman of the Board and Executive Vice President, Regulatory until October 2000, when the company was acquired by TELUS Corporation. He also served as the President of Clearnet from 1985 to 1992.

Under Bob's leadership, Clearnet pioneered 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR, also known as trunked radio) service in Canada in 1983. In fact, Clearnet was Canada's first 800 MHz SMR operator and quickly became Canada's largest. In 1994, Clearnet acquired Motorola's Canadian SMR operations and became a public company, later launching two state-of-the-art digital wireless networks. In 1996, Clearnet launched a national Enhanced SMR (ESMR) network known as "Mike", using Motorola's iDEN technology. In 1997, Clearnet launched Canada's first national CDMA Personal Communications Services network. By 2000, Clearnet had grown to become one of Canada's top 100 public corporations.

Throughout his entire career, Bob has been heavily involved in spectrum and regulatory activity relating to key wireless services, such as SMR, ESMR, cellular radio, PCS, paging, and to equipment such as CB and cordless telephones, playing a key role in establishing many of Industry Canada's radio and spectrum policies, frequency band plans and equipment standards.

For many years, Bob was TELUS' primary representative at the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, including a term as Chair of its Board of Directors. Bob continues to serve as the Chair of the Mobile and Personal Communications Committee of RABC, and is a member of the RABC Executive Committee.

Bob was also an active member of EFC as a manufacturer of telecommunications equipment in the 1970s and 1980s. He has maintained his relationship with EFC, through Lenbrook, to this day. EFC congratulates Bob on this important and well-deserved recognition.

EPA Strengthens Requirements for Energy Star Labeled TVs

It just got harder for a TV to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star. Effective May 1, 2010, TVs that carry the government’s Energy Star label are, on average, 40 percent more efficient than conventional models.  Available in stores nationwide, the new TVs will help consumers save even more energy and money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and still deliver all the features and performance quality they expect.

The new requirements represent EPA’s most stringent Energy Star TV specification to date and are in keeping with the agency’s commitment to making Energy Star the most effective way for customers to identify products that save the most energy. Qualifying TVs now must use less energy when turned on, but still ensure a satisfactory level of brightness, and they must curb power associated with downloading program guide data. Read more. 

EEMAC's Industry Speaker Session a Success!

Making Standards Work for People and Business! 

EFC's Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association of Canada (EEMAC) and its Executive Council held an Industry Speaker Session last week, featuring special guest speakers, Bonnie Rose, the recently-appointed President of CSA Standards; Glenn Tubrett, VP, Service Delivery; and Stephen Brown, Director, CSA – Energy.

Bonnie and her colleagues presented a very enlightening and current discussion on the evolving and expanding world of CSA Group®, which includes CSA® (Standards Development, Advisory Services, Application Tools); OnSpeX™ (Consumer Product Evolutions) and CSA International® (North American Product Certification). The presentation was very well-received by EFC members and guests, and was followed by a lively and open Q&A session. A special thanks to CSA for presenting at this event.

Mark your calendars! Please join the EEMAC Executive Council for their next Industry Speaker Session on Tuesday, September 21, 2010. This session is open to all EFC members and guests. For more information or to register, contact Deborah Preston at 647-260-3092 or at dpreston@electrofed.com.

Samsung Electronics to Keynote the Inaugural Market Focus Conference Series

Samsung Electronics will keynote the inaugural Market Focus Conference Series on "TV 3.0: The Future of TVs", organized by the Society for Information Display (SID) and IMS Conferences, a unit of IMS Research. The TV market series will be held in Seattle on May 26-27 during Display Week 2010 (May 23-28). Read more.

United States District Court Enters Final Judgment in Favour of Arlington

Arlington Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of unique and innovative electrical and communications products, is pleased to announce that on March 29, 2010, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania entered final judgment in Arlington’s favor in its patent infringement and breach of contract suit against Bridgeport Fittings, Inc. More on this news. 

New Research: Half flat-panel TVs will have Ethernet by 2013

As many as 46 percent of flat panel TVs shipping in 2013 will have Ethernet connections up from about 19 percent this year. That's the prediction in a new report on Internet-connected TVs from ABI Research. Ethernet represents the easiest and most robust way to link the TV to the Net. However, TVs will likely support many kinds of connections including USB ports with Wi-Fi dongles, a popular approach in CES 2010 demos. More on this.