CES New Port Richey: 25 Years of Great Teamwork, Customers, and Business
[New Port Richey, Florida] – As City Electric Supply New Port Richey began their workday on March 4, they knew it was not going to be boring. The branch was full of excitement for the celebration of their 25th anniversary later that afternoon.
“Throughout the day, I could not wait to see the barrage of customers that would attend and support the event,” said Branch Manager Justin Torregrossa.
When the time came and the event kicked-off, Torregrossa and his team were ready to network and hang out with their customers outside of work hours.
“Everyone was interactive and kept the customers involved and entertained,” said Torregrossa.
With 150 guests and 18 vendors, including Milwaukee Tools, Klein Tools, and Generac in attendance, customers had the opportunity to learn about new products and promotions.
“It was crazy to think about the amount of money we made just during the three hours of the event as customers came and went,” said Torregrossa.
Aside from vendor promotions and demos, the celebration also had more than 45 raffle giveaways that were announced every 15 to 20 minutes to keep customers engaged.
“Many of our customers walked away with more than one prize, and the best prizes we gave away were the three sets of Tampa Bay Lightning tickets, a 50” Smart TV, and a Generac Generator,” said Torregrossa.
The team also began holding a donation for personal items, such as diapers, wipes, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, hairbrushes, female products, and senior undergarments, a week before the event to donate to The Volunteer Way.
“Our customers were happy to receive additional tickets, but they were really excited to give back,” said Torregrossa.
Torregrossa started at the Crystal River branch in counter sales in 2010, and a short two years later, he was promoted to operations manager.
“My biggest accomplishment was being promoted to branch manager after such a short time with the company,” said Torregrossa.
Although being promoted to branch manager is his personal biggest accomplishment, he is so proud to see how far the branch has come as a team.
“It took us about eight months to move in and get things up and running. Now we have so much room to grow,” said Torregrossa. “We did a complete remodel, and that has been a tremendous boost for our business as we are continuing to grow our customer base, market share, and overall sales in New Port Richey. The sky is the limit for this branch.”
Though there are many reasons why Torregrossa loves working for the company, his favorite is the autonomy he has.
“When I started in the industry in 1997, it was all about customers and customer service, but now many distributors are working out of hubs and cutting time with contractors,” said Torregrossa. “City still focuses on their customers, allowing branches to make their own decisions based on their location and what their customers want stocked.”
The celebration had a great turnout and no one wanted it to end.
“We had such an awesome turnout with our customers and vendors,” said Torregrossa. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be a part of a branch that has been opened for so long. You could definitely sense the excitement of the crew and customers from the start to the end of the event.”
Torregrossa also wanted to extend a thank you to Winghouse Wings and Robert’s Smokin’ BBQ.
“Everyone loved the food so much, and with the help of Robert, the owner of Robert’s Smokin’ BBQ, Winghouse Manager Jose, and employees Christa, Maddie, Kaitlyn, and Aleida, the event was a hit,” said Torregrossa. “Thank you all for providing us with delicious food and helping out so much!”
As the event concluded, Regional Manager Mark Mickley made sure to express his gratitude to the branch.
“Our New Port Richey team is dedicated to customer service and continues to go above and beyond expectations. Our success in the community is due to their continued dedication to our customers. I’d like to thank all of you for this milestone,” said Mickley.