4 UPCOMING APPLICATIONS OF CONNECTED, INTELLIGENT
LED LIGHTING
LED lighting is changing the way we live and work. P10
INSIDE
+ A fresh look at labelling options
+ Manage better with fleet data
+ High-voltage grounding requirements
From out tting a small mom and pop shop to retro tting a commercial retail space, we know that jobs of all sizes require real talent and quality product. We are on the hunt for skilled contractors across our nation and we want to know what makes you a Philips Real Pro!
3 Real Pros Prize Pack winners will be selected every month from May 1st to December 1st, 2018.
There are two ways to submit a qualifying entry. Submit either a video or a story on what makes you a Philips Real Pro.
See contest rules for details. Enter online today at:
1 of 24 Prize Packs valued at $400! Win 1 of 5 trips for two!
ANTHONY CAPKUN
The prompt payment sea change continues, now in B.C.
It was in October 2016 that I interviewed Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel about their report “Striking the Balance: Expert Review of Ontario’s Construction Lien Act” a.k.a. “The Reynolds Report”.
During that interview, Vogel said “If you look at [construction liens] across the country, you’ll see that there is a need for modernization”.
And one of the things that desperately required modernization was the timeliness of payments to the construction trades. “I would emphasize that promptness of payment is a real issue. It’s a national issue, it’s a global issue [...]” confirmed Reynolds during our interview.
You may recall “The Reynolds Report” eventually led to Ontario passing the Construction Lien Amendment Act, 2017, in December.
Now, thankfully, that sea change of prompt payment has made its way to British Columbia, with several construction trade organizations—including the Electrical Contractors Association of B.C.—uniting under the banner of “Prompt Payment B.C.” to convince their government to find a solution to payment delays.
“We’ve consistently heard from our members that unnecessary delays in receiving payment are a significant concern for their business,” said Deborah Cahill, president of ECABC. “That’s why we’re collaborating with other building trades to work with the provincial government to ensure that contractors are adequately protected and can continue to make investments in our people and equipment.”
PPBC says it is “lobbying hard and promoting grassroots efforts that will make politicians understand the situation, pay attention and put a plan in place to solve the problem” because “The impact of payment delay on small- and medium-sized enterprises can be disproportionately severe, and even a minor delay in payment of one or two invoices can put smaller businesses under severe financial stress”.
Prompt Payment B.C. needs you to take action. Visit their website promptpaymentbc.ca and donate what you can to help them drive their efforts forward. Also, their website contains a link for sending a letter to your MLA in support of this initiative.
The sea change for promptness of payment is here... let’s see it wash over all of Canada!
acapkun@annexbusinessmedia.com
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4 upcoming applications of connected, intelligent LED lighting
Commercially available since the 1960s, LED lights continue to find new applications. Read how connected, intelligent LED lighting is changing the way we think about agriculture, healthcare... even security and communications.
Take a fresh look at your labelling options
Numerous identification products for wire & cable, terminal equipment, etc., are available, but the most important thing is to select markers that will remain readable and in-place throughout an installation’s lifetime.
Using fleet data to better manage your contracting business
Fleet management solutions can track dozens of key metrics, capturing and analyzing the data you need to ensure your contracting operations run smoothly.
or foe?
Ideal
National Championship kicks off... for Canadians!
For the first time, Canadian electricians are eligible to compete in the Ideal National Championship, where they can vie for the title of National Champion and a prize payout of $75,000 US.
“The Ideal National Championship is a highly-charged, no-holds-barred competition to discover the best electricians, apprentices and students out there,” says Doug Sanford, group president of Ideal Electrical.
The competition begins with a series of Qualifying events, held between March 7 and October 5, 2018. To compete in the Qualifying Round, electricians, apprentices and students simply need to register at idealnationals.com, then find a local event. There, they can compete as individuals or as part of a team (three individual electricians from the same company, school or training centre).
When the Qualifying Round wraps up, the Professional electrician and Apprentice/Student (participating as individuals) with the fastest times from the two designated Canadian territories (East and West) will be selected to go to The Championship Weekend, where Ideal will award $260,000 in cash prizes to the winners. Additionally, two teams from Canada—one one Professional and one Student/Apprentice team (with the fastest Qualifying Round times as a team)—will also be chosen to move forward.
(Note: Quebec currently excluded.)
Southwire moving some operations to Toronto as Wisconsin facility closes
“As our organization grows in size and complexity, we must continuously re-evaluate our operations...” said Southwire executive VP Kurt Hennelly on the news the company is closing its customer service centre (CSC) in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc.
Southwire (southwire.com) plans to relocate the CSC’s operations—including equipment and inventory—to existing distribution facilities located in the U.S. and Toronto. This transition is expected to wrap up by the end of November.
Eligible employees at the Pleasant Prairie CSC will have the opportunity to bid on open positions at other Southwire locations. Those who do not wish to transfer to another Southwire location will receive severance packages.
“Go Green in the City” helps students “gain a foothold in our industry”
Schneider Electric has launched its 8th annual “Go Green in the City” global contest that invites business and engineering students to find solutions for more energy-efficient cities.
“Helping students to develop their bold ideas for new sustainable solutions and gain a foothold in our industry is a great way for us to accelerate positive change,” said Olivier Blum, chief HR officer, Schneider Electric.
Teams of two students (at least one of which is female) attending accredited business or engineering schools will submit ideas in one of several categories.
All shortlisted teams will then work with a mentor from Schneider to produce
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Roman Ryszewski, Professional champ 2017, winner of $75,000 US.
Photo courtesy Ideal.
Go Green in the City 2017 finalists at Schneider Electric’s headquarters. Courtesy Schneider Electric.
Southwire customer service centre, Pleasant Prairie, Wisc. Courtesy Southwire.
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With AD Rewards, customers are rewarded for purchasing participating suppliers’ products from an AD Canada Distributor. You earn one point for every dollar spent(1) at any AD Rewards Distributor(2) across Canada. You may already have points from purchases and not even know it. It’s the best rewards program in the industry. Isn’t it time you started rewarding yourself today? (1)
