CORONA, Calif. — Just 45 miles southwest of Los Angeles, Corona is a town whose heritage spans more than a century and has over 394 acres of parks. Known as “The Circle City,” Corona is expanding, and office development is booming, especially with big businesses headquartered in Corona such as Monster, Saleen, and Lucas Oil.
“Corona was the perfect choice when looking for a location to open the branch,” Branch Manager Ernie Rodriguez said. “It is in an open area between businesses and we are able to service both Los Angeles and Orange County.”
Rodriguez has been in the electrical industry for more than 32 years and worked with many contractors in the commercial, residential, and industrial market, so he knows the type of projects that will be coming to his branch.
When deciding to join City Electric Supply a few months ago, Rodriguez knew it was a no-brainer.
“I wanted to help more customers face-to-face rather than just inside a sales office,” he said. “I wanted to help build relationships with our customers in a more real way. City Electric Supply gave me that opportunity.”
Alongside the experienced branch manager of Corona, the team has more than 40 additional years of combined experience.
“My branch is going to be successful because of our personnel,” he said. “They are thoughtful and experienced. That counts for a lot when it comes to wanting to please our customers.”
In preparation of the July opening, the team set up an area in their warehouse and began business as usual through their phones to get ahead of the game. Not only did this show customers how this branch was willing to do anything for them, but it also allowed them to begin building relationships in a new, rapidly developing market.
“Now that we are actually open, contractors are excited when they hear we have a place for them to come, gather their products, and look around,” said Rodriguez.
While building relationships and opening new accounts, the entire team worked hard looking for the perfect location and putting the branch together.
“I called the property management company and they had a building right where we wanted it,” said Rodriguez. “It was the perfect building. It had four roll-up doors and the amount of space we needed.”
Other than finding the perfect building, the inside of the old warehouse had to be completely renovated, from having walls torn down and fixing bathrooms to setting the offices up and completing the counter.
“We aren’t fully there, but we are close. We want to make the branch perfect in every way for our customers,” Rodriguez said. “They deserve nothing but the best from us.”
Although there are many reasons that Corona is unique, the branch is a plus for the town with more and more contractors nearby. Rodriguez believes his team is going to be successful because of their flexibility and willingness to go the extra mile, something that other suppliers don’t have the reputation of doing.
“If you need something and we are closed, customers can call me and I will meet them at the store, no matter when it is. Customers are our number one priority,” he said. “That’s just how we work. A lot of customers respect that loyalty, and they’ll give it back to us in return.”
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