Celebrating 32 Years!
This month marks our 32nd anniversary of business here in the U.S. and for that reason I want to pause and reflect upon our rich history. We are fortunate to be part of a rapidly growing company that shows great success year over year – to date, we currently have 391 branches in the U.S. with a projected 15 new branches in 2015, and employ more than 2500 associates.
It’s exciting to think we’ve accomplished so much and hold just one percent of the market share – our growth and the opportunity is limitless, with a clear path for advancement!
My grandfather built this company on two basic business principles:
- Invest in people
- Provide outstanding customer service
All of our Senior Managers started their career in a CES branch. We grow as we can and steadfastly stand by those two founding principles.
In 1951, my grandfather, Tom Mackie, left a comfortable job as a salesman at GEC in Birmingham, England; he decided to risk everything so he could purchase a near bankrupt wholesaler in Coventry, England trading out of horse stable. (Want to know about this story?)
After the purchase, he and my grandmother, Georgina, had just nine shillings and six pence in their bank account, but through tenacity and good business sense, he built the foundation for the strong company we are today. This humble beginning bears our heritage and remains the guidepost for our company. We believe in quality customer service and a family atmosphere.
Thirty-two years after the purchase, in April 1983, we broke ground in the U.S. opening our first store in Tampa, Fla. and brought with us an unparalleled dedication to customer service, forever changing the electrical supply industry in the U.S.
In our first single year of business, we opened nine additional stores, all located in the southern region of Florida. Just 12 years later we grew to fifty stores.
The turn of the century brought exciting expansion as we climbed into the triple digits. All combined, it took just 17 years to open 100 stores in the U.S., but if that seemed fast, we were blown away by what came next.
The following 100 stores opened in just five years. Then further expansion, 2006 and 2007 were record years; we opened 50 branches both years!
We are thankful for our success; five consecutive years of year-over-year double-digit growth, strengthening our network with the first-ever national conference in 2014, and launching our fresh look with updating branding across the U.S.
Though we are thrilled to experience such rapid growth and thank every member of our team for making it possible, we will continue to honor our heritage of family and customer service well into the future. We will not forget the values and principles upon which we are built.
I remember growing up attending family holidays hearing my grandfather talk about this company. It’s amazing to see just how far we’ve come, and I’m excited to see where the future takes us – that’s up to you!