Since its founding in 1926 as an electric supplier, Irby Utilities has evolved into a comprehensive distributor and solutions provider. Acquired by Sonepar in 2005, Irby Utilities has grown to 800 dedicated associates across 49 states.
Sonepar sent tED magazine an update on Irby’s growth strategy in the industrial market. They sat down with Irby Utilities president, Joe LeNoir, to ask about the company’s evolution.
Question: What business sectors does Irby Utilities now cover?
In 2005, Irby Utilities began distributing electrical products in the utility market. Since that time, we have expanded within the utility market now servicing the electric, gas, telecommunications, broadband and renewable energy sectors, which includes both end users and contractors within these markets.
Q: How has the utility market changed?
The utility market has evolved. The traditional electric sector has shifted with more products being purchased through distribution. For utility companies with gas divisions, bringing their gas offerings up to the same operational and service standards as their electric divisions has become a priority. Public power utilities entered the broadband space in the last 5-7 years due to changes in national and state regulation and related funding programs. Finally, the magnitude of infrastructure work and the aging lineman workforce have led to an increase in utility contractors and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms that purchase products to service utility companies. Irby Utilities has successfully expanded and diversified its products, services, and solutions to meet the evolving needs resulting from these changes.
Q: What do you attribute Irby’s success to?
We attribute our success to many things, but there is one single most important component that you will find consistent with any high-performing business: people. We have worked hard over the years to bring in the right people, those who can thrive professionally and personally in our organization and Sonepar. Our goal is not to fill a box in an organizational chart, but rather to give an individual a starting point to grow and develop. As we tell associates today, we have roles in our business this year that did not exist three years ago, and there is always something new on the horizon. As we continue to move forward, our success is dictated by our people and their continued willingness to adapt and innovate.
Q: What innovations have Irby Utilities implemented in the past few years to harness this growth?
Irby Utilities and Sonepar have invested in a long list of innovative initiatives to diversify our business and meet the changing needs of our customers. We have added an extensive portfolio of services, including personal protection safety testing, emergency response programs, and customer facility/mobile inventory planning. Irby Utilities has also assembled internal teams to better support customer product needs, and expanded its contract compliance resources to guarantee we deliver on our commitments and to create customer-specific standard operating procedures. Now, we are far from a simple item-selling wholesale distributor; we are a true services and solutions provider.
Q: What excites you about the future?
We are engaged in industry segments that will always exist, continue to grow, and are relatively resistant to economic downturns. The forecasted investment into the utility sectors over the next 10-20 years is unprecedented, and our high-performance reputation has positioned us as the services and solutions leader as we march forward on this path. As we continue to grow, I am excited to leverage the significant investment capabilities of Sonepar to help us to stay ahead of the market and always meet the customers’ needs.
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