City Electric Supply has three great fulfillment centers across the U.S., with more on the way. With each new location centralized to serve a specific region, CES increases its ability to deliver orders faster to customers and CES branches nationwide — often in just one to two days. Learn how one fulfillment center provides invaluable support and creates a great place to work.
This Electrical Supplier Knows How to Deliver
The three existing centers in the order they opened are in Jacksonville, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Two will open in the upcoming year in Texas and Indianapolis, and at least one additional location is in the planning stage.
The Charlotte location is known as “Warehouse Branch 2” or “WB2” for short. Nearing three years in service, this dedicated CES fulfillment center is part of a 160,000-square-foot facility. This center uniquely shares the building with TAMCO Group, the in-house brand of City Electric Supply, which operates six manufacturing brands.
WB2 currently ships orders across the nation. As the additional centers get up and running, WB2 will transition to primarily serving the southeast region of the U.S.
Area Fulfillment Manager Demetri Caldwell has been with WB2 from the beginning, joining on as shipping manager. He shared the advantages of CES handling its deliveries personally.
“With these additional centers, we rely less on other carriers and ensure customers get their orders in a more timely fashion. We avoid delays, track shipments better, and improve the quality of deliveries. My team does a great job packing products,” Caldwell said.
WB2 Rises to the Occasion
You could say Caldwell keeps everything on track. “I work in the daily operation of facilities. I basically ensure that the team follows all of the standard operating procedures. Anything that ensures the building is fully operational, from training to procurement.
Over the last year, Caldwell helped WB2 tackle what some might call a good problem. As new branches opened and CES continued providing dependable service, orders ramped up significantly.
However, this increase in demand took place during a difficult time, the COVID-19 pandemic. The country began to experience a high national turnover, and supply chains slowed across most industries. Yet WB2’s staff of over thirty team members continued to expand.
Fulfillment Center Creates a Fulfilling Place to Work
When WB2’s demand increased, it needed to scale up rapidly. The fulfillment center also needed many more hardworking, dedicated individuals to join the team and expand the second shift.
Caldwell shared how he and his team successfully scaled up the workplace to meet the needs of the business and the people. Their strategy included attracting new employees, providing proper training, and ensuring a great atmosphere where employees feel like they belong.
“To attract quality associates, you need to treat them fair, treat them great. We want them to feel part of the team, even if they’re a temp-to-hire. When we tour new staff through the facility to show them what we provide and how we support them, many say it’s their first job that recognizes employees,” said Caldwell.
Developing the Best Workspace and Workplace
“When you look at how to retain employees, wages are important, but how else can you make them want to stay? Are you listening to your employees and treating them right? It makes a difference,” said Caldwell.
With a people-first approach and focused job training, Caldwell maintains an efficient and safe workspace that sets up everyone, from new hires to management, for success. He helps four departments balance the workload and makes sure anyone can master their responsibilities, encouraging all to ask questions and ask for help.
Thanks to everyone at WB2 and the other CES fulfillment centers, employees can look forward to an exciting future, and customers can expect unbeatable service.
Take an exciting drone flythrough tour of the facility: https://bit.ly/3nE08qB