Before the advent of Building Information Modeling, electrical contractors built their electrical materials lists by hand. It was a common practice to overshoot just a little to prevent delays on an important construction project. But even with these safety adjustments, minor errors could quickly lead to headaches for electrical distributors. Like most supply chain issues, this problem is exacerbated by… Continue Reading
Late in August, 2019, the trade publication Electrical Wholesaling released its 2019 Top 200 Electrical Distributors report. In addition to naming the biggest suppliers in the field, this report covers product launches, company news, and analysis of the market in general. With all these details, there’s plenty of actionable data in this year’s Top 200 report. We combed through the… Continue Reading
There was a time, early in the advent of cut-to-length wire distribution, when you couldn’t enter an electrical warehouse without hearing that familiar call: “How much wire is left on that reel?” Cut-to-length imparts tremendous value to electrical contractors, but it introduces logistical headaches to distributors. Rather than purchase a whole reel, contractors ask only for what they need to… Continue Reading
Electrical contractors may have been working in the field for decades, remaining injury-free the whole time. They might go on to train their staff in the common-sense protections that have kept them safe through countless installations. But despite this admirable preparation, employees can still be injured on the job. In 2016, for instance, workers sustained more than 1,600 electrical injuries… Continue Reading
It’s hard to create a more sustainable electrical firm without cleaning up the supply chain while you’re at it. But how can electricians make the move toward a green supply chain? First, of course, it’s helpful to have a working definition of “green” in the context of supply chain management in the electrical industry. According to an early paper on… Continue Reading
Wire and cable manufacturers carry a heavy burden; if they fail to fill their customers’ just-in-time orders, those customers might have to shut down entire production lines until the vital components come in. Understandably, cable providers will do just about anything to fill their orders reliably. But that leads right into another problem. If a cable manufacturer overproduces, they’ll be… Continue Reading
For electricians, musculoskeletal disorders remain a serious occupational hazard. Electrical installation teams aren’t alone with this risk; workers in most construction trades face a higher risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders than those in other industries. Between 1992 and 2014, the rate of occupation-based musculoskeletal disorders remained higher in the construction industry than in all combined industries. This disproportionate rate of… Continue Reading
July 2, 2018 — St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading provider of electrical, battery-handling, and material-handling equipment, will launch the new Electrical Equipment Mobile Showroom on its first tour beginning July 9. This 48-foot trailer will introduce BHS’ latest collections of cable-and-wire-management equipment and electrical material carts to customers across Texas. The Mobile Showroom will stop in Houston, Dallas, and surrounding areas over the course of its first week touring. “Visitors [to the Electrical Equipment Mobile Showroom] will leave with a clear understanding of each product’s form, fit, and function,” said Melissa Bowen of BHS Marketing. “There’s nothing like hands-on experience to find a real solution.” Equipment in the Showroom includes the Parallel Reel Payout, which is ideal… Continue Reading
June 25, 2018 — St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading provider of electrical and material handling equipment, recently announced the latest in their line of cable-and-wire-handling equipment: The Wire Pull Cart. “Construction electricians really want two things from payout equipment,” said Melissa Bowen of BHS, Inc. Marketing. “They want it to store what they need on the install, and they need it to pay the wire out smoothly. Those were our main goals with the Wire Pull Cart.” The latest piece of wire-handling equipment from BHS packs up to 3,000 pounds of electrical wire on any number of reels, with nylon grommets for an even payout. Users can adjust placement of shafts along multiple positions to accommodate the… Continue Reading
June 20, 2018 — St. Louis, MO — BHS, Inc., a leading provider of electrical equipment and warehouse solutions, now offers Light Fixture Carts to simplify storage and handling of a particularly awkward component. Light Fixture Carts from BHS cradle 10 standard 4-foot-long light fixtures or twice as many 2-foot-square units within a powder-coated steel frame. Each fixture slides easily into its slot like a sheet pan into a baker’s rack. The abrasion-resistant powder coating protects fixtures and racks themselves for long-term, reliable use. Removable lock bars on either side of the unit provide further protection for stock during travel. “Electrical suppliers have told us they were looking for something just like this and just couldn’t find it until now,”… Continue Reading
