It’s always exciting to add new partners to our network, because working with them provides a platform for us to get our products into new customers’ hands. Plus, our reps help better serve and build relationships with current customers – and that’s something very important to us.

On the heels of the announcement, we’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a good partner, so we wanted to share a few things we look for when adding new partners to our network:

1. Mutual understanding: A partner should understand your business – and vice versa – so that if a problem or opportunity arises, you can work together to address it.
2. Shared values: Blanchard and Synergy are a natural fit within our rep force because they share our commitment to superior customer service and product quality. If you’ve found a good partner, what’s important to you will likely be important to them too.
3. Integrity: During last year’s Innovation Roundtable, we talked a lot about “gatekeeper relationships,” or partnerships where decisions are based on cost. A true partner will make decisions based on what’s best for you, not how much it’s going to cost them.
4. Communication: Technology can nurture a partnership, but a solid relationship based on human interaction should provide the foundation.

What other qualities do you look for in a partner? Let me know in the comments.

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• Innovation: The jackpot for American manufacturers: Washington Post discusses how manufacturing innovation will lead to new industries, more jobs and increased economic growth. (Must-read!)

• Why Manufacturing Will Be Hot Again (INFOGRAPHIC): What’s in store for the manufacturing industry and how will it affect you? This infographic from IndustryWeek highlights the major changes ahead.

• Rules of attraction: A look at why young workers are drawn to careers in electrical distribution: “If Millennials knew about this industry, [they] would be beating down the doors to get in. It’s fast-paced, it’s exciting and everyday is different.” In their April issue, tED Magazine explores what attracts Millennials to the electrical distribution industry.

• GE Turns to the Crowd for Help in Creating Consumer Products: An interesting case study on how GE plans to crowdsource consumer uses for its technologies. This one’s definitely worth reading.

Let me know about any other must-read articles we missed in the comments. Happy reading!

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Photo credit: tED Magazine

If you’re a veteran My Madison reader, you might remember us sharing Walton’s words of wisdom in one of our first posts on the blog. Much has changed in the two years since then, but as new products, processes and technologies continue to push the industry forward, I personally think Walton’s words ring truer now than ever.

The customer is king, and the companies that remember that (no matter how much the industry changes!) will always lead the way.

A customer-centric approach is reflected in everything we do here at Madison, so it’s no surprise that we talk about it often on this blog. We’ve shared a number of customer service tips over the years, and today I want to share a few favorites. (As an added bonus, we’ve even whittled them down to 140 character “tweetable tips” so you can share them with your own networks!)

Top 10 “Tweetable” Customer Service Tips:

• Your customer’s problems = your problems. (Click to tweet)
• Embrace a “Do whatever it takes to get the job done” mentality. (Click to tweet)
• Communicate early, communicate often. Then, communicate some more. (Click to tweet)
• Knowing a service rep has your best interest in mind? Priceless. (Click to tweet)
• All customers are not created equal, so one customer service solution does not fit all. (Click to tweet)
• Great things happen when you empower your entire team – not just reps – to make customer-centric decisions. (Click to tweet)
• Relationships are built on integrity and mutual understanding, not price. (Click to tweet)
• Digital communication can nurture a relationship, but only if human interaction provides the foundation. (Click to tweet)
• Fight “information overload” by delivering information where, when and how your customers want it. (Click to tweet)
• Partnership is a two-way street. Be loyal to your customers, and they’ll be loyal to you. (Click to tweet)

What other “tweetable tips” would you add to our list? Let me know in the comments!

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Photo credit: Twitter.com

EC&M’s Product of the Year Awards annually recognize the most valuable products introduced to the electrical market in the previous year. We’re thrilled to be included among the 46 Category Winners selected for 2013, but now we need your help to push us to the top of the list!

Voting is open now through May 26th. Here’s what to do:

1. EC&M readers can vote for Madison at http://ecmweb.com/2013-product-year-competition-0
2. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter (We’ll make it easy for you: Just click here to tweet!)

Cut-in Snap Lock: The Cut-In Snap Lock fitting provides labor savings when connecting metal-clad or armored cable in old work (cut-in) electrical box installations. No tools are required when assembling to the cable or box, and the anti-short bushing is pre-assembled and will not fall out during transit or installation. After installing the old-work box in the wall and fishing the cable through the box, simply snap the cable to the fitting and snap the fitting into the box. The reusable product is also easily removed without tools. Learn more on our website!

Thanks for your support, and we hope you’ll vote!

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Vote for Madison for the 2013 EC&M People’s Choice Award!

• Crowdsourcing: The Missing Link in Manufacturing Innovation – American manufacturing will grow again when new products emerge as our key differentiator and competitive edge. To achieve this, we need products dreamt up by people who know the pain points and opportunities firsthand. Crowdsourcing may be the key, as Brad explained earlier this month to the Huffington Post.

• B2B: Quality Lead Nurturing Leads to 70% More Sales – John Sonnhalter offers tips for nurturing relationships over time can actually help shorten the sales cycle and drive leads. Good, quick read!

• Manufacturing at the Speed of Change – In today’s fast-paced market, manufacturers have to anticipate customers’ needs, predict trends, make quick decision and accelerate product development and innovation. This whitepaper from Industry Week explores how next generation ERP solutions are transforming expectations.

• Social Networking 101 for Distributors – Yes, 90% of B2B marketers had adopted social media by the end of 2012. But, did you know only half of them actually think it’s effective for reaching their audience? Tedmag.com offers tips for how to leverage platforms and develop a plan of attack to make social networking work for you.

• We Need Your Apps! – Want to share your app with the industry? NAED is creating a list of apps – produced by both distributor and manufacturer members – so send your own or your industry favorites.

Let me know about any other must-read articles we missed in the comments. Happy reading!

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This speaks true to our company. As we progress with new technologies and innovations that better our business, we always remain true to our humble roots.

Madison was founded in Cleveland in 1929 by Earl Atkinson, an electrician and inventor of the Madison Clip (one of the electrical industry’s most relied-upon and favorite products). While the industry has changed significantly in the 84 years since then, we’ve remained committed to delivering innovative, high-quality products and superior service.

A lot has progressed in the electrical industry in the city we call home. So today, a quick history lesson to appreciate where we’ve been:

Humble beginnings
Way back in the day, there was a communication system that translated messages by transmitting electric signals over wires from location to location (a far cry from today’s communication methods like sending a simple text or tweet!). But alas, this system – the telegraph, as we know it – debuted in 1847, marking the first significant application of controlled electricity in Cleveland. Fire-alarm boxes were the next phase of power in the city, and by 1877, telephones stepped on the scene making communication much faster and easier.

Let there be light
In the late 1800s, Charles Brush, the most prominent innovator and entrepreneur of the time, made a big impact on the city of Cleveland with the development of the arc light.

But Brush wasn’t the only name making headlines at the time. Perhaps you’ve heard of Thomas Edison? Edison designed the incandescent lamp that later had an impact in Cleveland. When the National Electric Lamp Association became the National Quality Lamp Division of General Electric (GE), it established NELA PARK in the Cleveland suburbs, one of the earliest planned industrial research parks in the nation. This division went on to take a leading role in GE’s incandescent lighting development program from 1915 until 1935, when fluorescent lighting research began.

Movin’ on up
Once electricity helped Clevelanders communicate and light the city, transportation was the natural next step. Brush made headlines again when his Cleveland-based company began developing and testing equipment for the first electric streetcar line, plus a Brush generator was used in a car barn that powered the line (known as the East Cleveland Railway Co.).

By 1900, Cleveland ranked first in the production of electric automobiles.

Home is where the electricity is
The electrical home-appliance field was also booming in Cleveland by World War I. This meant everything from coffee percolators, frying pans, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, fans and more were being developed. (In fact, seven different types of vacuum cleaners were being produced in the city in 1931 – that’s a lot of cleanup!) By the 1920s, Cleveland also ranked third nationwide in the production of radios.

War – what is it good for? Power
Cleveland electrical firms banned together during World War II so they could meet the needs of our country’s military. They manufactured mini radio tubes to use in proximity fuses for antiaircraft artillery shells. A new department in GE even sprung up specifically for lighting research.

Post-war, the industry continued to see rapid growth. So much growth, in fact, that two Cleveland companies – Reliance Electric and the Addressograph-Multigraph Corp – were named one of Fortune’s 500 largest industrial corporations for 1958.

As you can see, Cleveland has made its mark on the electrical industry in the past few centuries. But, the items above only scratch the surface on how the industry has progressed. (We didn’t event mention its impact on electronics and microelectronics!)

Madison is proud to call Cleveland home, and we can only imagine what the next century will hold. Which person, company or invention would you call most significant in Cleveland’s electrical history?

Source: The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

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Photo credit: All Things Cleveland, Ohio

I read an article in Forbes magazine last week that opened with this quote from PayPal Co-Founder Peter Thiel: “We wanted flying cars. Instead we got 140 characters.” Thiel also says innovation has slowed significantly. But, is he right?

According to the article, that depends on whether you’re referring to “atoms” (physical things) or “bits” (software/technology). Here’s how it explains:

Atoms: slowing. The Boeing 747 first flew in 1969, yet it still is the main jet carrying people across oceans. Automobiles still travel 70mph on our highways. They use less fuel and are safer, but the pace of improvement is nothing like it was 100 years ago.

Bits: accelerating. The cellphone was the size of a brick 30 years ago. Six years ago it was much lighter, though still mainly a phone. Today it’s a camera, radio, television, credit card and disease diagnostic tool.

Now, let’s look at this in terms of the electrical/manufacturing industries. Are we on the brink of inventing the next “atom” (i.e.: the light bulb, car or [fill-in-the-blank-with-whatever-innovation-you-deem-most-life-altering])? Probably not. But, that doesn’t mean we aren’t on the brink of introducing new products or technologies that make these existing innovations more efficient.

Today’s innovations may not alter the world as we know it, but that doesn’t make them any less important or helpful when it comes to getting our job done. What do you think?

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Photo credit: ideum

• Where is Manufacturing Making a Come Back? –Ohio, Michigan & Indiana gained 168,000 manufacturing jobs total in the past three years. Go, Midwest!

• Are You Prepared for the Next Generation of Manufacturing? – IndustryWeek explains why understanding today’s key manufacturing technologies – like automation or 3D manufacturing methods – is essential when preparing for the future of the industry.

• Double-Standards: How Etsy Upped Its Female Engineers By 500% – After a two-year long initiative focused on gender diversity, Etsy now boasts 20 female engineers on its 100-person team. How? According to this Forbes article, by “hiring like girls.” (Good read especially for those trying to attract more women to the industry!)

• Top 10 Influential Business Books of All Time – Who doesn’t love a good business book? This article from Inc. shares 10 of the all-time best.

• Customer Loyalty: What Are You Doing? – Did you know it takes five times as much effort to get a new customer than it does to keep an existing one? In this post, John Sonnhalter lays out some helpful tips for evaluating your customer service department and, as he words it, “giving your customers a reason to stay.”

Let me know about any other must-read articles we missed in the comments. Happy reading!

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Photo credit: capturedbymylens

So I woke up. And I made a new rule: Everyone who reports to me has to be much better at doing his or her job than I could ever be.”

I was reading Inc. magazine last week and came across this quote in an article by Evernote CEO Phil Libin. His management philosophy is simple: hire smarter than yourself and encourage the rest of your company – from upper management to the most junior levels – to do the same.

I’m a big fan of this idea. In fact, I think that this philosophy is a major part of what sets good leaders apart from the rest of the pack. To be a good leader, you have to know what you don’t know – even more importantly, you have to know how to build a team that knows the things you don’t.

Don’t waste time micromanaging and trying to know it all. Instead, spend your time investing in your employees and giving them the tools and resources they need to succeed.

What do you think of Libin’s leadership philosophy? Like me, do you agree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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Smoke stacks? Factories? Crying sports fans?

It’s true that Cleveland is known for its rust-belt image and never-ending losing streak, but did you know the city is also home to a number of inventions?

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Electric street car: The first electric streetcar went into operation on the streets of Cleveland in 1884, powered by a Brush Electric Co. generator. Although the line closed down the following year, it led to the introduction of the automobile in 1920.

• Wind turbine for electricity generation: Just three years later (1887) came the first automatically operating wind turbine for electricity generation, invented by Brush Electric Co.’s president, Charles Brush. The windmill reportedly ran for 20 years.

• Life Savers candies: In 1912, Cleveland candy-maker Clarence Crane was searching for “a sweet treat that would withstand the summer heat better than chocolate.” His answer? “Pep O Mint”-flavored Life Savers. (Did you know? Life Savers got their name because Crane punched holes in the middle of each candy – making them look like mini life preservers – to differentiate them from other products.)

• Electric traffic light: The world’s first electric traffic signal was installed on the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street on August 5, 1914. Shortly after, the Cleveland Automobile Club published an article stating, “This system is, perhaps, destined to revolutionize the handling of traffic in congested city streets and should be seriously considered by traffic committees for general adoption.” Fun fact: This intersection was also the site of the first pedestrian button for control of a traffic light, which was first demonstrated in 1948 by a local boy named Louis Spronze.

• Madison Strap: You know I can’t write a post about Cleveland “firsts” without a nod to good ol’ Earl Atkinson! (For those of you new to the blog, Earl Atkinson founded Madison in 1929.) Legend has it that Earl was in need of a way to secure an old work box in a wall where there was no stud support. Being the inventive soul that he was, Earl looked around the room and saw an old Coca Cola can. It was from that can that Earl cut out the very first Madison Strap. This whole process happened at 102 Madison Ave., hence both the name of the company and the strap’s official part number.

• Superman comic: In 1933, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster invented Clark Kent and his alter-ego from their houses on Cleveland’s East Side. Rumor has it the boys were so inspired they completed the first weeks of comic strips in just 24 hours.

• NFL “Monday Night Football” Game: The Cleveland Browns defeated the New York Jets 31-21 on September 21, 1970 during ABC’s Monday Night Football prime time debut. Even though the Browns played, Cleveland viewers couldn’t actually tune into the game on TV because NFL rules at the time stated that home games could only be televised if they sold out 72 hours before kickoff.

What did I miss? What other “firsts” would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments!

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Do you have an invention worth adding to this list? We want to hear about it! Click here to share your product idea.

Sparks Innovation Center Resources:

• Sparks Innovation Center home page
• Download the brochure
• Submit an idea

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Photo credit: All Things Cleveland, Ohio