As electrification becomes more dominant within the United States, companies have begun to make moves towards meeting these needs.
The question begs, “How does electrification fit into a company like K/E Electric Supply?”
For a company like K/E Electric, the main focus is selling products that customers want to buy. As the country and corporations move towards clean energy, Rhandi Kuchenmeister, head of purchasing and inventory for K/E Electric, sees the opportunity that electrification offers.
“Electrification offers opportunities for K/E Electric to grow not just as a company but in sales and in commissions,” Kuchenmeister said.
Currently, K/E Electric doesn’t offer much in the areas of solar power or EV chargers. Electrification offers them a whole new realm of products.
“Everything that is powered is an opportunity for a sale, for something to buy and sell and help our community with, whether it’s solar or EV or both,” Kuchenmeister said.
Kuchenmeister emphasized the importance of making smart, educated decisions when it comes to deciding what K/E Electric wants to buy and sell. They consider cost, lead times, inventory, and physical space, which are just a few factors that go into making these decisions.
One major change that K/E Electric has embraced is putting EV chargers in all new branches.
“There might be a contractor out there that gets a new EV truck or van, and they can’t go to our competitor to charge when they are in our building going over prints or buying new products,” Kuchenmeister said.
Beyond these EV chargers, K/E Electric is conducting companywide internal training using NAED, EPEC, Blue Volt, and others to educate salesmen about different opportunities across the whole industry beyond just what K/E Electric has on hand. It is also taking steps to see what it can sell in the clean energy realm.
“May not be the first in the door, but I like to think we are the most intelligent about it. In terms of keeping the right product on hand, partnering with the right vendors and manufacturers, getting support from our local reps, sharing projects leads, and doing sales calls with our local representation on that,” Kuchenmeister said.
K/E has been working with clean energy mainly through projects. Legislation is leading builders to use clean energy in these new projects.
“When it comes to electrification and the clean energy space, which is probably the majority of new products, as far as where electrification is going. A lot of legislation and bills that have been passed in the last few years want people to be pushed or pulled in that direction,” Kuchenmeister said.
As clean energy products gain popularity and availability, the main hindrance is having the infrastructure in place to keep up with the growing industry. The legislation and bills in place are leading more people to buy EV-powered vehicles, and as the infrastructure catches up to this, Kuchenmeister believes that EV-powered vehicles will gain popularity.
“The opportunity for infrastructure on these new projects is just expanding. EV vehicles aren’t going anywhere. Battery capacity is really going to lead the EV infrastructure,” Kuchenmeister said.
From installing solar panels on commercial buildings to installing a generator transfer switch, the opportunities for companies like K/E Electric are just getting bigger.
“The projects lead the way in these new products and opportunities for us,” Kuchenmeister said.
K/E Electric understands the importance of electrification for the whole country. The electrical industry is just one small part of the country’s future.
“Vital part of America and what we need to do to move ourselves forward. Once you’re in the industry, I know you see the value of it. It’s how we get people into the industry and electrification; publicly, we need to tell people almost everything you do relies on electricity, and that comes from somewhere…the importance of our industry is like no other, but we are also not known like any other industry,” Kuchenmeister said.
Tagged with electrifiED, K/E Electric