CE Pro August 2023 - 45

selves as the connectivity
solutions specialists in the
CI channel.
GARIJANIAN: We offer
inside and outside sales reps
to ensure our customers
are taken care of, 24-hour
pickup locations, a new
integrated training facility
to livestream training events
that we host monthly, an
award-winning website and
massive warehouses to keep
everything our customers
need when they need it.
JASO: Lighting expertise
is the biggest one by far.
There's no company in our
space who has more years
of landscape lighting experience
on their team than
we do. We're always staying
on top of new technologies
and not only bringing
it to our clients' attention,
but training them how to
use it. We are there with
you every step of the way
from purchase to design to
installation. We also offer a
proprietary LB 2.0 Design
& Sales Software platform
that is a huge differentiator
for us.
How do you build relationships
so integrators trust
your recommendations?
LUTHER: We have been
in business as a distributor
since 2009 but our story
didn't start there. We were
all integrators first. All this
time has enabled us to grow
to be known for not selling a
brand because a manufacturer
offers us a good margin.
FISCHER: Recently, Catalyst
AV member Custom
Partners hosted Lutron
training for 30 dealers in
the Tri-State area. These
relationships are forged over
trust, mutual respect and
longevity. Member MidState
Distributing, founded
in 1948 as a distributor of
consumer electronics and
associated service parts,
recently tripled their space.
BODLEY: Dealers trust
our recommendations
because we carry the best
brand in every category
and back that up with the
technical support to make
sure the dealer gets the job
done right the first time,
every time.
GARIJANIAN: Hire great
people that care about their
business. If we don't know
the answer, we will get it to
them in a timely manner. We
pride ourselves in supporting
our customers and our
communities. That's why we
donate a portion of the sales
from our Next Level Products
to Autism Speaks.
Wesco Offers Range of Solutions
for Security Integrators
In addition to smart home and home
theater solutions, integrators rely on
distributors for their growing security
and video surveillance needs. CE Pro talked to Bill Geary,
Executive Vice President and General Manager - Communications
& Security Solutions, Wesco, in conjunction with this
year's ISC West. Here are highlights.
It's now been almost three years since Wesco acquired
Anixter. Overall, how did the merger go?
We believe the merger has gone extremely well. Integrating
two large, global companies of similar size is challenging.
With the merger of Wesco and Anixter, we've found that this
combination has been incredibly accretive to the business,
bringing together complementary capabilities and similar cultures.
We give ourselves a very high grade on the integration
between the two companies. While we're not done yet, it has
gone very well so far.
Now you have united Tri-Ed and Anixter brands under the
single brand name Wesco. Was that the plan all along to
have a gradual brand unification strategy?
A few years prior to the merger of Wesco and Anixter, Tri-Ed
was merged into Anixter. At the time, these branches were
referred to as Anixter security branches. After the Wesco
cepro.com
merger, it was a fairly easy transition over to the Wesco
brand, combining the complementary security capabilities
of both organizations. We are continuing to emphasize the
Wesco brand and share how the combined company allows
us to better serve our customers and suppliers globally.
What is Wesco's current footprint in terms of branch
locations and worldwide presence?
Globally, Wesco has approximately 800 locations in more than
50 countries. We are looking to consolidate where it makes
sense. When we pull our brands together and cohabitate in
one location, we get greater scale and stronger warehouse
capabilities as well. We're certainly not remaining status quo
- we're continually consolidating, growing locations and
expanding capabilities to meet our customers' evolving needs.
You consider this to be the " Golden Age of Security " - why?
The camera has so many more use cases now. There are many
different applications for access control and physical security,
and now cameras are acting as an edge device. We're seeing
an emergence of camera utilization beyond just surveillance
or loss prevention. The camera and security devices act as
IoT-managed devices across multiple applications. A camera
isn't just a camera anymore - it's a true edge computing
device with multiple applications.
August 2023 CE Pro | 45
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CE Pro August 2023

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