CES Fishers, IN: The Place for City Electric Supply
[Indianapolis, Indiana] – In a suburb of Indianapolis and named the #1 Place to Live in the United States by Money Magazine, City Electric Supply has opened its newest branch in Fishers, Indiana. Fishers is known as a smart, vibrant city that is developing rapidly. Since 2000, the population has nearly doubled, bringing with it plenty of new business and innovation.
The Fishers branch is unique to the town, which has only a handful of electrical distributors north of I-465. The location will also service most of Hamilton County, including its contractors and growing businesses.
Branch Manager Rich Bragg is excited for the opportunities they will have, along with the many electrical contractors in the area.
“Providing services to several contractors and businesses in the area is going to be a big part of our success. It’s important we get their business and build a relationship together early.”
Bragg started with CES in October, but he’s been preparing for the branch’s May opening ever since. Before starting with CES, Bragg worked as an electrician for an electric company, a supervisor for a prefabrication department, and an outside sales rep for 14 years. Even though he had years of experience in the electrical industry, Bragg knew he wasn’t done learning, so he jumped at the chance to open his own branch.
In preparation to open the branch, the team had to completely renovate the location from top to bottom. What started as a closed Sears Appliance store soon became a newly renovated branch. Bragg and his team first made a few offices, replaced lighting, painted the walls, and then re-painted the floors. With room to spread out, the Fishers branch had the opportunity to include a combination conference and showroom.
“We actually were able to design and build our counter and conference room, which will serve as a dual-purpose room to show off lights, dimmers, new lighting, and more,” said Bragg. “This is going to be the perfect spot to showcase new lighting products and highlight any promotions or deals we’ll be running.”
Although putting the branch together was a lot of work, Bragg also ran into a few challenges putting his team together. Making sure his branch was staffed with the most amazing, hardworking team and setting up with the right vendors were difficult, but he says it was well worth it in the end.
“The previous relationships I established with vendors really made the process smoother than I could have hoped. Having that shared history with my previous vendors and the history of City Electric Supply behind me was invaluable,” said Bragg. “It also let me go after the best employees. CES is a respected distributor, and the chance to make your own decisions to carry what you want is important, especially in this industry.”
Aside from the challenges, the most exciting part of opening is knowing how far the branch has come since its renovation.
“There is a totally different vibe,” Bragg said. “Visualizing how the branch looked before to walking in and seeing it completely renovated today is thrilling. The hard work from District Manager Doug Hornback, Counter Sales Robert Roll, and Operations Manager James Lowry did not go unnoticed, and I am forever grateful for the help they contributed putting this branch together over the last several months.”
Bragg believes the Fishers branch is going to be unique, starting with his team’s electrical and customer service experience. The veteran team has the industry knowledge to answer any question a customer has and point them in the right direction, as well as showing them new products that will help save the contractor labor and money.
“Since we’re located in an old Sears store, we expect to attract many different customers, including some who have probably been on the hunt for washing machine parts, flashlights, and lawnmower blades,” Bragg joked.
Even though Bragg has only been with CES for nine months, it was easy for him to brag about why he enjoys working for City Electric Supply already.
“I enjoy the freedom to bring in different products that I have used in the past. Experience with products is important to me, as well as our contractors,” Bragg said. “I also love that I am able to hire my own team. Working with each individual on a daily basis is easily the most enjoyable part of my job.”
Bragg knows surrounding himself with the right people and the strongest team will be the main path to success for CES Fishers.
“As long as everyone continues doing what they are doing, I know they are going to be a very, very strong team. Everyone should be shaking because we are coming, and we’ve already made an impact on the industry here.”
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City Electric Supply is a family-owned electrical wholesale distributor dedicated to providing the best customer service in the industry since 1983. City Electric Supply currently operates 483 locations in 31 states across the nation.
Visit CES Fishers, Indiana at:
7290 E. 86th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46250
(317) 969-8465