With a focus on maintaining relationships, State Electric’s Huntington, West Virginia, region has a strong outlook for 2019. Specifically, State Electric is still involved in one of its longest and strongest partnerships. Marshall University is just across the road from State Electric’s corporate building and Huntington branch, which is also State Electric’s first location. State Electric and Marshall University have had a mutually beneficial relationship since 1965 when the company and the university set up a deal to trade buildings. Marshall was part of what our founder, Art Weisberg called the “20^th street business community,” a tight-knit alliance of business helping one another succeed.

Now Marshall University is in the process of building a new Pharmacy School building as well as a student housing complex. State Electric was successful in bidding with a local contractor, Dixon Electrical Systems and Contracting, Inc. Employees from the Huntington area will continue to work closely with Dixon and the university until the project is completed, and State Electric’s invaluable services are helping to achieve progress quickly. This is a huge project for the university, and State Electric’s relationship with Marshall has been one of the successes of the company for decades.

Beyond large institutional projects, Huntington’s customer relations remain strong through the efforts of outside and inside sales and operations employees, according to the Huntington Metro Area Manager and Huntington Branch Manager, Mark Hanna. The branch has a loyal local customer base which has ensured that walk in business remains strong.

The region is also anticipating growth through a training program referred to as the STEP Program (State Electric Trainee Experience Program.) This is an effort to backfill any future employee needs, and two employees are already enrolled in the program.

STEP is an 18-month program designed to prepare an employee for positions where the location sees a specific future need. Employees will spend 3 months in the warehouse operation receiving, shipping, and wire cutting before moving to counter sales. They will then work for six months on the counter where they will learn product and application, while also participating in NAED’s (National Association

of Electrical Distributors) Edge Program and receiving hands-on application training with experts in the company. Once this initial training is complete they will be required to enroll in and complete NAED’s EPEC (Electrical Products Education Course) program. Finally, they will have exposure to inside and outside sales and spend time with corporate management for final evaluation.

This training process is intended to fully prepare employees to step into a role that may open up without a slow turnover. It ensures that every customer who walks into the branch will be met with a highly trained, equipped sales person, giving them the best options for their application.

With a focus on both relationships and training, the Huntington area anticipates continued growth and success with its customers, new and old.