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2026 Lighting Resource Guide by Jim Lucy

William Attardi on March 30, 2026

Electrical Wholesaling’s 2026 picks for where to go when you need to learn more about lighting, from A-Z. With all of the technological changes in lighting over the past few years, getting the latest available information on products and trends is critical. The associations, government resources, publications, websites and universities listed below are EW’s updatedpicks for the best lighting education, information on trends and new products, and networking / educational opportunities at lighting industry events. The 2026 Lighting Resource Guide also offers some insight into one the fastest-growing new resources in the lighting market — NEMRA’s new Lighting Division. In just over a year it has already attracted more than 150 lighting reps and manufacturers. Congratulations to the National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA) for the foresight to develop this important resource. 2026 Lighting Resource Guide | Electrical Wholesaling

Electrical Wholesaling’s 2025 Top 100 Electrical Distributors by Jim Lucy

William Attardi on June 9, 2025

Top 100 distributors are divided over the direction of the 2025 economy, but they are still making major capital investments in their companies to position them for growth. It’s tough to pinpoint exactly why Top 100 distributors are all over the map with their economic expectations, especially when outside of the uncertainty over tariffs and concern over the size of the national debt, the overall U.S. economy is still growing at a steady if unspectacular rate.  Unemployment is currently not growing at a dangerous rate, inflation has not hit the danger zone, and while the expected real GDP growth rate of less than 2% for Q2 2025 will elicit plenty of yawns, it’s still expected to land on the positive side of the ledger for this quarter. The Top 10:

  1. Wesco International
  2. Sonepar USA Holdings Inc.
  3. Graybar Electric Co.
  4. Rexel Holdings (Rexel USA)
  5. CED
  6. Border States Electric
  7. City Electric Supply Co.
  8. Elliott Electric Supply Inc.
  9. McNaughton-McKay Electric Co.
  10. S. Electrical Services

Electrical Wholesaling’s 2025 Top 100 Electrical Distributors | Electrical Wholesaling

Data Centers: More Power to Them by Jim Lucy

William Attardi on April 1, 2025

2025’s surge in data center construction will be fueled by the greater demands of AI (artificial intelligence) for electrical power. The explosive growth in data center construction and the related increases in demand for the electrical system installation and supply and logistical services they require is quite unlike anything the electrical business has ever seen. Over the years there’s been booms in speculative office construction, energy-efficient lighting retrofits and the installation of power quality industrial automation products. But the dollars being spent on new data centers – and the electrical construction materials that help power them – may very well be unmatched. This all means big business for electrical contractors, design engineers and other electrical professionals involved with data center construction. Data Centers: More Power to Them | Electrical Wholesaling

2025 Lighting Resource Guide by Jim Lucy

William Attardi on March 17, 2025

 Our 2025 picks for where to go when you need to learn more about lighting, from A-Z. With all of the technological changes in lighting over the past few years, getting the latest available information on products and trends is critical. The associations, government resources, publications, websites and universities listed are EW’s updated picks for the best lighting education, information on trends and new products, and networking/educational opportunities at lighting industry events.  The trade associations listed capture the diversity of business interests in the lighting industry.  2025 Lighting Resource Guide | Electrical Wholesaling

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”