CES Marathon, FL: A Seaside Supplier’s Paradise
[Marathon, Florida] — Ten miles long and spread out across 13 islands in the Florida Keys, Marathon is probably one of the most scenic locations for a new City Electric Supply branch. If you imagine palm trees, sandy beaches, crystal-clear water, and no winter season, you wouldn’t be far off.
To hear it from Branch Manager Jaime Naranjo, who took over CES Marathon after working in Miami the last four years, it’s practically paradise.
Prime Location in Paradise
“Miami is a lot of city. All you can see is what’s above you,” Naranjo said. “In Marathon, I wake up to a beautiful sunrise and I go home to a beautiful sunset. There’s always something nice to look at here.”
A prime location in paradise isn’t the only thing that CES Marathon has going for it. CES Marathon is the closest electrical supplier to Marathon contractors. The next closest supplier or retailer is about an hour away.
In Naranjo’s words, it’s a lot of business with not a lot of competition.
“Contractors and even homeowners in the Florida Keys are excited to have CES Marathon nearby. They don’t have to drive an hour south or an hour north to get electrical supplies. They can just walk right in.”
And it shows. As CES Marathon brings in more stock every day, customers are realizing that if they need a one-stop shop, it’s right there in their own neighborhood.
Supporting the Marathon Community
By the sound of things, customers haven’t been this excited for a new supplier, well, ever.
“Business is just walking through the door,” Naranjo said. “It says a lot about the service we provide; we can help anyone. It doesn’t matter if they’re a contractor or just a homeowner needing to grab a few things, we’re here to supply the entire community.”
That’s exactly what Naranjo is looking forward to in Marathon, Florida. As an electrical supplier in Marathon, he’s just excited to help everyone in the Keys.
“It’s tough for the people who live and work here,” he admitted. “If a contractor has to leave a job to pick up a part, they’ll be driving all day. It could cost them an hour or two easily. CES Marathon has an opportunity to supply a large portion of the Florida Keys.”
Customers in the Florida Keys haven’t had a flexible supplier like CES before, so they’re excited to tell Naranjo and his team what they need. From one-off items like tape, screws, and extension cords, to carrying all the stainless-steel products they can get their hands on, CES Marathon is living up to their reputation as a one-stop shop.
Challenges and Opportunities
You’d think being in the middle of an island would be challenging for a supplier, but CES Marathon has embraced the challenge and the feedback they’ve received.
“We have a chance to help every community here, from Marathon to Key West to Key Largo. That’s probably what I’m looking forward to the most,” Naranjo said. “Just interacting daily with people who live here, not just contractors.”
But, there’s also a lot of opportunities to work with contractors. Right now, a ton of development is happening on the islands: new hospitals, schools, libraries, homes, and more.
Plus, there’s Marathon’s main attraction to residents and tourists alike: fishing. For an electrical supplier, that translates to marine products.
“I’d never dealt with the marine side in Miami, but people always have their boats on the water here,” he said. “It’s a year-round business, so we’re expanding into that market as well.”
One-stop shop indeed.
A Good Feeling
Thanks to being the only supply house in Marathon, Naranjo has a good feeling that it’s going to bring in a lot of business to his 7,000-square-foot branch.
Another plus? Space is limited on an island. Even if development slows, that still means countless opportunities to support retrofits and other electrical upgrades over the years, which is huge for CES Marathon and could lead to a lot of growth in the future.
“Whether it’s tools or lights or anything else, people can come to us and we can help them out,” he said. “We have the experience to educate our customers and help them figure out exactly what they need. That’s going to be important, especially during hurricane season.”
“We’re not just here to sell supplies,” he added, “but to help people repair their homes, finish their projects. We’re as much a part of this community as they are.”
Community. That’s what it keeps coming back to. CES Marathon, Naranjo, and the entire team are heavily invested in the communities up and down the Florida Keys, and they know they’ll receive support in return.
“We’re truly blessed to have this opportunity,” he said. “We expect to have a big impact on the electrical community throughout the Keys. In three to four months, I could easily see us on track to becoming one of the top branches in City Electric Supply.”
Now all that’s left for Jaime Naranjo and his team is the daily grind that’ll get them there. Until then, paradise will be waiting for them just outside the branch.