CES Success Runs in the Family
Celebrating National Siblings Day
They may be a bit annoying sometimes, but we can’t imagine what life is without siblings. In honor of National Siblings Day, April 10, we celebrate the close bonds between brothers and sisters who work for City Electric Supply, and they may just prove to you that they can get along just fine!
Take Ron and Brandon Menser, for example – Ron started working for CES about five years ago. He said it did not take a lot of talking about CES in order for his brother, Brandon, to join the team. Brandon started about a year ago, and is currently a Stores Assistant for CES Waterford in Michigan.
“It’s pretty neat having to work with your sibling,” Sales Rep Ron Menser, CES Madison Heights in Michigan, said. “A big advantage that I can speak for would be trust.”
He refers to trust as a hard thing to come by and having someone in the workplace you can put your trust in provides a huge benefit.
Ron spoke about seeing Brandon succeed in the company and mentioned that it is an advantage and joy to see his brother’s growth at CES. “I’m proud to be part of that equation,” Ron said.
Brandon said working with Ron allowed him to grow his electrical industry knowledge. “After a couple of months of working together, he taught me a lot of what we provide in the warehouse and all the vendors we buy from,” Brandon said.
“He’s been a great teacher and answers any questions I have that I didn’t know before.” Brandon stated it was a great experience working alongside Ron and hopes to succeed just like his brother.
Ron did mention, however, a disadvantage to having siblings in the workplace: mixing family issues with work. Although neither have dealt with anything like that so far, he advises to keep family matters and work practices separate.
“We both understand each other’s boundaries when it comes to work and family matters, and I think it will work for both of us,” he said.
Ron added he’s had the joy of working with Brandon before CES, so he knew Brandon would be a good fit with his strong work ethic and motivation to do better for himself, his family, and the company.
“All-in-all, my brother and I have it pretty good and it’s going to be an exciting ride to watch both of us grow inside CES,” Ron said.
For siblings Debbie Sheridan and Kathy Ferland, growing their passion for the electrical wholesale industry and excelling in their careers was not easily accomplished. Though there were some struggles along the way, their dedication, and initiative to keep growing, led them to overcome challenges and gain new opportunities at CES.
Debbie started her career in the Air Force as an electrician. She obtained a journeyman’s license and is currently branch manager at CES Phoenix North in Phoenix, Arizona.
Before she started at CES, Kathy worked in the field at an electrical apprenticeship program with Watt’s Electric to receive a journeyman’s license. Kathy is now Branch Manager for CES Port St. Lucie, in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Kathy and Debbie first worked together at CES Stuart in Florida; Kathy was in counter sales and Debbie was a stores manager.
“People would come in with parts and Debbie knew exactly what they were – from fixtures, panels, or anything electrical. I learned a lot from Debbie while we worked together at that location.”
Debbie was promoted to branch manager for CES Jupiter, where she stayed for one year. When the Port St. Lucie location opened, she transferred there. After about four years, Debbie aspired to become a group manager.
One of the requirements was to nominate a predecessor to her role as branch manager. She nominated Kathy to take her spot.
In 2012, Debbie and her husband, an HVAC contractor, moved to Phoenix where she became group manager.
Today, since both sisters live apart, some of the few times they see each other are during the NAMC Conference which occurs every two years. It’s the perfect opportunity; they get to spend time reconnecting both personally and professionally.
Kathy and Debbie carved roles for themselves and seized every opportunity. “Debbie probably demanded more from me,” Kathy said jokingly. “Debbie would say to me, ‘Hey can you do this for me’, when it came to getting the job done.”
They also talked about the struggles they faced as women, working in a male-dominated industry. Their product knowledge was questioned often.
“You always worked hard to prove that this is not just a man’s world,” Kathy said referring to the industry. “There are guys now that come in and talk to us because we’ve been in the field for over 20 years,” Kathy said.
Kathy and Debbie’s story paints a picture of groundbreaking women that have worked hard to be successful at CES. “We’ve grown so much. The branches are making much more now and the net profit has grown. We want to keep growing at CES,” Debbie said.
Debbie said she had the honor of meeting CES Founder Tom Mackie. “I have a lot of fond memories of Mr. Mackie from when I started working. He was such an intelligent man and shared tons of stories of his travels and his CES career. I could never think of going anywhere else,” Debbie added.
Kathy and Debbie admire how CES is a family-oriented business where family members who show a desire to do well for the business, have the opportunity to do so.
In the end, even when push comes to shove, siblings are among the people that will always have each other’s back.
Here are some other CES siblings who play a big role in the company:
