Volume 14, Issue 4: WUE Open House 2021
WUE Open House 2021
Western United Electric Supply recently hosted our biennial Open House September 16, 2021. There were over 50 manufacturers represented and over 100 members and customers in attendance. Overall, attendance was higher than expected but slightly lower than previous years given the unprecedented times we are experiencing . The venue allowed vendors to showcase current and upcoming products and also allowed manufacturers and customers to discuss the current struggles the industry is undergoing with regard to supply chain constraints and material planning. We look forward to hosting this event again in fall of 2023!
Employee Spotlight
Meet Joshua Smith
For years Western United's IT department was a small operation with only one person handling the day-to-day tasks and larger projects; however, over time this proved to be a tall order and with that in mind Western United sought out a service oriented, highly personable IT professional.
In October 2017, Joshua Smith was hired. Joshua came to Western United with years of experience in IT support, training, and service focused customer interactions. Joshua's role consists of handling of internal IT issues, assisting with the planning and implementation of large projects, and maintenance of companywide computer equipment.
Originally from San Jose, California, Joshua moved to Colorado in 1998. He enjoys playing a wide range of instruments in his free time including bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and ukulele and is an asset to the Western United organization.
2021 Holiday Schedule
Western United Offices will be Closed
November 25th & 26th for the Thanksgiving Holiday
December 23rd & 24th for the Christmas Holiday
Friday December 31st for the New Years Holiday
Market Update Resins, Metals, Economy
Below are several examples of the commodity price increases over the last 12 months.
Copper prices have increased 40%
Aluminum prices have increased 60%
Oil prices have increased 75%
Steel has increased 74%
The largest increase has been in transportation costs. The cost to ship a 40 FT container from Asia to North America has increased 700%. From roughly $2150 to $14,000 (or more in some cases). This has had a large impact on material costs on many of the commodities used in the utility industry since many manufacturers have globalized production over the last 10 years.
These prices are the results of high demand, labor shortages and raw material shortages and there appears to be no reprieve on the horizon.
Please stay in touch with your WUE sales representative to provide forecasted needs. In order to provide exceptional service, WUE has brought in additional manufacturers into stock in order to create material redundancies and help mitigate backorders as much as possible.
Featured Product
WUE is currently offering 2 different types of pole wrap to help mitigate potential fire damage to wooden utility poles.
WUE has partnered with Genics, who offers a patented fire mesh wrap which can be purchased by the roll (3ft tall, 50ft long, weighing 42lbs/roll) or preinstalled on the poll itself (via Bell Pole and Lumber) which can be advantageous for installs in fire prone areas. Along with a foil/fabric combination from Custom Laminating Corporation. Each roll is 60” tall and 300 lineal feet. (75lbs total per roll).
Please reach out to your WUE sales representative if you are interested in fire wrap rolls or if you would like to explore the option of having the fire mesh wrap preinstalled on your next pole order.
