CE Pro July 2021 - 26

CE PRO DISTRIBUTORS GUIDE | Operations
Distributors
Help Dealers
FLEX & FLOURISH
Leveraging lessons learned and pivots from the
pandemic, distributors are now serving the custom
industry with a hybrid approach that's expanded their
reach as a valuable resource.
By Arlen Schweiger
MUCH LIKE THE
country returning to
work but commonly in a
hybrid office/work from
home scenario as things
continue to open up
post-pandemic, the wholesale
custom electronics
distribution channel has
leveraged a hybrid manner
to support its dealers.
Distributors were forced
to adapt their operations,
communications, training
schedules and much more
throughout 2020. The byproduct
- much as companies
experienced with remote
workforces that continued to
prove they could be efficient
outside of a traditional
office - is that processes
and pivots made to adjust
amid the pandemic have in
turn enabled distributors to
provide even more expanded
support to integrators in
2021 and likely beyond.
26 | CE Pro July 2021
The lasting impact of
lessons learned and new
normal for distributors looks
like a hybrid network that
can now combine in-person
events with more on-demand
and remote training,
consultations, system design
resources, etc., available online.
Sure, dealers have been
using ecommerce for years,
but now everyone is accustomed
to other benefits
of virtual meetings such as
convenience, reach (dealers
can be at a jobsite and have
a distributor hop on a quick
zoom call with customers,
designers, architects, for
instance).
To hear from the distributors
themselves about the
state of the sector at the
halfway point of 2021, CE Pro
asked representatives from
several leading distributors
for insights: ADI, BlackWire
Designs, Catalyst AV, DOW
Technologies, PowerHouse
Alliance and SnapAV.
CE Pro: It's been about a
year since the pandemic
shook up industry operations.
What are some of the
biggest lessons you learned
during the challenging 2020?
DENNIS HOLZER,
Executive Director, PowerHouse
Alliance: After an
unprecedented year, the
PowerHouse Alliance distributor
members continue
to see growth, with some
members opening additional
new locations later
in the year. The past year
gave distributor members
an opportunity to improve
communication skills both
internally and externally.
Without in-person events
and member meetings,
the PowerHouse members
and dealer customers were
forced to develop better
communication habits across
the board.
The rapidly changing
market brought an increase
in demand for installations,
making communication
and virtual training keys to
success. The PowerHouse
Alliance distributor members
continue to provide virtual
trainings and webinars that
give dealers the flexibility to
tune in on their own time.
JOHN YODZIS,
President & CEO, DOW
Technologies: I think the
biggest thing we learned is
how resilient our industry
is. It was amazing to see
so many from our industry
come together to support
each other. Whether it
was to educate on COVID
protocols, PPP loans, or
to assist with supply chain
and inventory availability,
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CE Pro July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro July 2021
