CES Willow Grove, PA: Amazing Location, Better Community
Historic. That’s one word to describe Willow Grove, a Philadelphia suburb that’s been around for over 300 years. For CES Willow Grove Branch Manager TJ Lorenz, he might use the word “opportunity.”
Perfect Opportunity
“CES Willow Grove is in an amazing location,” he said. “Willow Grove itself is only 30 minutes away from Philadelphia, but it still has that small-town feel. We have plenty of local businesses, privately-owned shops, and a lot of smaller contractor crews. You really get the feeling that community is important, and we can’t wait to start building relationships with everyone here.”
Community is a huge part of every CES branch, and Lorenz knows this better than most. He spent the past two years at City Electric Supply and even helped open three different branches.
The Key to Success
“I first joined City Electric Supply in January 2019,” said Lorenz, who worked at WESCO for most of his career. “Working with three branch managers, I saw firsthand how having a good reputation in the community can help you have success.”
To say Lorenz is a pro at opening branches would be nothing short of earned. He’s clearly a veteran by this point, and he’s excited to start helping smaller contractors that live in Willow Grove.
“We don’t have many large contractors, but we have a lot of smaller ones with maybe a couple trucks who specialize in commercial and residential. That’s great for us,” he said. “Some even run their business out of their house, so supporting them is important. It’s about doing as much as we can for everyone and supporting local businesses.”
Ideal Location
And even though they just opened on December 1, it seems like CES Willow Grove’s location is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Lorenz and his team.
“Before we even opened, a customer stopped in to tell us just how happy he was to see us here,” Lorenz said. “He just told us: ‘This is so much better for me. I don’t have to drive out of my way to pick up supplies. I can just bring it back to the shop or stop here and head right to the job.’”
Lorenz went on.
“As the closest electrical distributor in the area, we’re not just helping these crews complete a job, we’re helping them save time and grow their business. Now, they don’t have to go out of their way to pick something up. They can come to us and know that they’re getting the supplies they need and the service they expect.”
Added Benefit
Another reason why contractors in Willow Grove are excited for the new branch? Well, having an electrical distributor in Willow Grove is huge partly because of the tax rate in Philadelphia.
“A lot of the guys that work in Philadelphia live in this area,” Lorenz explained. “They’ll stop by in the morning, save some money, and get the supplies they need to take onto the job sites.”
So, when the contractors walk into CES Willow Grove, what is waiting for them? For starters, one big showroom.
“It’s one of the biggest in the district,” Lorenz added. “We also have black slatwall, which makes everything inside the branch look cleaner and makes the products pop on the shelves. For contractors, it’s easy to find what you need.”
Knowledgeable Team
And to make things even better, Lorenz has a knowledgeable Operations Manager to help grow the new branch.
“Rich Knauss came from another CES branch in California, and he’s been with me since the beginning of 2020 just getting a game plan together. He knows the products and knows how everything works, which is a huge bonus for me to get someone like that onboard.”
With a team behind him and his first few weeks down, what is Lorenz and CES Willow Grove looking forward to the most? Really, just getting into the swing of things.
“We’re working hard just getting the word out to our customers that a new electrical supplier is near them,” Lorenz said. “There’s so much potential for growth here, it’s hard not to get excited every time we come in. Right now, we’re just focused on growing, and we look forward to becoming a well-established business in this area.”
If the welcoming community in Willow Grove has anything to say about it, there’s nothing this branch needs to be worried about.