CLEVELAND, Tenn. — City Electric Supply (CES) is a new electrical wholesale distributor opening in Cleveland, TN. The company spent six months completing a renovation of the branch for opening and is thrilled to be able to show the location off to customers. Branch Manager Eric Starnes and his team showed commitment to CES Cleveland TN from the very beginning.
Working for CES in Morristown two hours away, Starnes would make the drive over to Cleveland to complete renovations and get work lined up so that the new location could open in time. He did this for two months.
“We got a hold of our building in October. I was still working at Morristown, and I would come back and forth between the two locations to line everything up here in Cleveland,” said Starnes. “The utilities had to be turned on. We had to find contractors to do the renovations, and then we had to get material stocked and ready to go.”
Starnes added, “My wife and I moved to Cleveland in November of 2022, and we’re excited to be settled in.”
The most rewarding part of all the hard work? Getting to watch CES Cleveland, TN come to life.
“The transformation of the branch facility to what it is now has been incredible to see from the very beginning. From painting to putting the countertop on, it was a rewarding process,” said Starnes.
CES Cleveland TN is a little larger than 10,000 square feet to stock everything customers could need. This branch opening will help plug a geographic hole for CES customers. CES Chattanooga East is approximately 30 minutes from Cleveland, and Downtown Chattanooga can be reached within 45 minutes to an hour.
“This branch is going to be the start of bridging a gap between our Knoxville and Chattanooga stores,” said District Manager Michael Faller. “We are in an area where CES will have an opportunity to help a lot of new businesses and potential customers. This location will be very convenient for people, and we are excited to help their needs.”
Operations Manager Dennis Wells is a native of Cleveland and has several years of experience in different markets to help customers. Cameron Bienvenu who does counter sales for the location and driver Preston Bess are natives to the Cleveland area.
Starnes has 25 years of experience in the electrical industry, from working in the field to project management. He has been with the company for nearly 10 years and prior to coming on board was a customer.
“While I was a customer at Morristown, the branch manager approached me about a job. I felt like giving this side of the industry a shot. I came in to talk to him, and he brought me on as an operations manager,” said Starnes.
The new branch recently celebrated its grand opening with the community, customers, and CES team members.
Tagged with CES, City Electric Supply