IMELCO (International Marketing Electrical Corp.) has added the IMARK Group as a member. This is IMELCO’s second recent step toward a global presence, after adding marketing groups from the United States and Australia to its European base. The group’s members voted unanimously to approve IMARK’s membership earlier this month and will take effect July 1.
IMELCO, which was established more than 20 years ago, describes itself as “…the biggest international consortium of independent electrical wholesalers which brings business partners from different countries to one table, enables the exchange of experiences and negotiates a common framework for terms and conditions: for the success of each individual member and for the benefit of the whole group.”
In a joint news release, Bob Smith, IMARK president and CEO, said, “IMARK Group is very pleased to be joining IMELCO, the leading global group of electrical wholesalers with like-minded objectives and goals. Our attraction to IMELCO is clear with IMELCOs focus on growing and supporting its approved suppliers and just as important IMELCO’s member–owned model of doing business.”
“Given the increasing rate of industry globalization, we are confident that our group’s membership in this organization will benefit IMARK members in the years to come,” Smith continued. “We anticipate that IMARK Group’s membership of IMELCO will result in enhanced member profitability, expanded networking opportunities as well as the chance to share best practices with leading independent electrical distributors from all over the world.”
Simon Barkes, IMELCO’s chairman for the past four years, said “Our members are looking forward to seizing the opportunity that IMARK’s assimilation offers, while remaining true to our guiding principles and working hard to ensure the ongoing competitiveness and profitability of our members, the Independent Wholesale sector.”
IMELCO–with offices in Belgium and Hanover, Germany–has a membership made up of 12 electrical wholesale groups operating in 16 European countries and Australia. Gemcell of Australia was another recent addition to the group. In 2011, IMELCO’s members generated sales of roughly $8.4 billion. The group’s 2012 convention is set for November in Frankfurt, Germany.
IMARK Group is member-owned, member-governed cooperative made up of 900 independently owned electrical distributors throughout the United States. These companies serve their customers from over 2,000 branch locations. The membership includes over 80 members in the Top 200 largest distributors in the United States. The members of IMARK Group market share accounts for 18% of the U.S. electrical distribution market.
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