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NEMA Supports Securing U.S. Power Grid and Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing

William Attardi on August 28, 2026

NEMA supports measures that ensure our nation’s electric grid is secure, reliable, and resilient, particularly as demand for electricity continues to grow. In response to President Trump’s Bulk Power Executive Order 14420, NEMA leadership looks forward to working with the Administration to ensure the shared vision of a secure, reliable grid that delivers affordable electricity for Americans is realized, while balancing the near-term need to expand energy generation, transmission, distribution, storage, and efficiency.  The U.S. electrical manufacturing industry has invested more than $200 billion in domestic production since 2018, advancing manufacturing of components critical to our national security, economic growth, and energy future. The Executive Order’s emphasis on American-made energy infrastructure also reinforces the importance of industry-led programs like NEMA’s Make It American® program, which helps manufacturers demonstrate and verify their commitment to producing electrical products in the U.S. based on the current Build America, Buy America Act.  NAED supports the goal of securing America’s power grid from proliferating threats and supply-chain vulnerabilities. We look forward to working with the Trump Administration as it develops the rules needed to implement the order. NEMA Supports Securing U.S. Power Grid and Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing – NEMA

NAED, IDEA Launch ProjectNexus From ‘Where’s My Stuff?’

William Attardi on June 3, 2026

NAED has selected the joint venture of IDEA and Pull Logic to build ProjectNexus, the first industry-owned middleware solution giving the electrical channel real-time visibility into order status, from manufacturer to job site. Tracking material across the electrical supply chain still means phone calls, emails, and endless spreadsheets. Frontline teams spend their days fire-fighting instead of moving projects forward. A first-of-its-kind, industry-owned middleware solution that lets manufacturers, reps, and distributors share trusted order and shipment information directly between systems. ProjectNexus – IDEA

  • Real-time PO Status – Every order, every line. Confirmed, in production, shipped, or delayed.
  • Proactive ESD alerts – Slips flagged before the call comes in. From reactive to proactive.
  • Secure and role-based – You decide what to share and with whom. Role-based controls give every partner access to exactly what they need, and nothing more.

NAED Invests in New Electrical Career Outreach Effort

William Attardi on May 14, 2026

National Association of Electrical Distributors launches “Careers with Power” campaign to strengthen workforce pipeline. A strong workforce doesn’t happen by accident — it begins with awareness. Yesterday, the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) announced the launch of Careers with Power, a comprehensive industry branding campaign designed to position electrical distribution as a dynamic, rewarding, and future-ready career destination. Careers with Power is built with a clear purpose: to introduce the electrical distribution industry to the next generation of talent and connect interested candidates directly to distributor career opportunities. Through a strategic mix of digital tools, social media outreach, and partnerships with leading workforce development organizations, the campaign meets potential employees where they are — and guides them toward meaningful careers in the industry. NAED Invests in New Electrical Career Outreach Effort | Electrical Wholesaling

NAED Opens Registration For The 2026 Marketing Summit

William Attardi on May 1, 2026

The race has begun for the 2026 NAED Marketing Summit, as registration is now open for the event, August 3-5 in Indianapolis, IN. This year’s theme is “Shift, Accelerate, Outpace”, which could not be more appropriate as we navigate so much change and at a higher rate of speed. The 2026 Marketing Summit is targeted at Marketers working in electrical distribution, manufacturing, and rep agencies who want to evolve their approach to content strategy, cross-functional alignment, AI, and building marketing programs that can scale. NAED Opens Registration For The 2026 Marketing Summit – tEDmag

Tariff Q&A with NAED Director of Government Relations, Bud DeFlaviis

William Attardi on April 28, 2026

tED magazine talks with NAED’s Director of Government Relations, Bud DeFlaviis, about why distributors usually do not have a direct claim to IEEPA tariff refunds, why unwinding tariff-driven price increases is so difficult, and how distributors can explain that reality to customers. tED Magazine: Bud, what is the biggest misunderstanding in the market right now about tariff refunds? Bud DeFlaviis: We hear a lot that since the IEEPA tariffs were struck down, everyone who absorbed higher prices will easily get money back. That’s not how this works. The Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026 ruling held that IEEPA did not authorize the broad reciprocal and drug-trafficking tariffs, and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) has launched its refund process using a tool called CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries). But that government refund process is built around the importer of record — the party that paid Customs — not every company farther down the supply chain that later paid higher prices.  tED Magazine: So who actually has the legal claim to a refund? Bud: In most cases, the importer of record does.  tED Magazine: Are the tariffs gone? Are they coming back? Bud: The IEEPA tariffs are gone. However, other tariffs imposed under the Trump administration remain in effect and the President has signaled that he wants to continue to find mechanisms to impose additional tariffs. Tariff Q&A With NAED Director of Government Relations, Bud DeFlaviis – tEDmag

NAED Washington Wire: Information and Updates on IEEPA Tariff Refunds

William Attardi on April 23, 2026

The Supreme Court’s February 2026 decision striking down broad IEEPA tariffs has triggered a complex refund process, now centered at the CIT and being implemented by the CBP. The main action items are straightforward. Importers should track liquidation dates, confirm ACH and ACE enrollment, preserve all entry and payment records, and review any contracts that may affect refund sharing. Wholesalers and distributors should check whether their pricing or surcharge provisions address tariff reimbursement. All parties should continue monitoring CBP’s rollout, the CIT’s next orders, and any appeal activity that could affect the scope or timing of refunds. For businesses, the key distinction is between legal entitlement and commercial recovery. Importers of record are positioned to receive refunds directly, provided they maintain proper documentation and system readiness. In contrast, wholesalers and distributors must rely on contract terms to determine whether they share in any recovered duties, making careful review of agreements essential. NAED – Washington Wire

Baird Research: Distributors Expect Growth in 2026

William Attardi on November 30, 2025

In the exclusive tED magazine/Baird research for the 2025’s third-quarter, NAED distributors point to indications of “healthy mid-single digit” growth for next year. 18 distributor companies representing more than $7 billion in annual sales responded to the third quarter survey, which showed revenue growth in the third quarter and a rise in pricing trends. Respondents say they expect to see a 5.4% growth rate in electrical next year, along with a 4.5% growth rate in Datacomm. Those forecasts are generally in line with the broader distribution industry, which anticipates a 4.7% growth rate next year. Baird Research: Distributors Expect Growth In 2026

NAED Attends “Unleashing Alaska”

William Attardi on November 7, 2025

The event titled “Unleashing Alaska,” touched on recent Trump Administration efforts to unleash vast oil, gas, and mineral extraction in the state, and forward-looking efforts to craft durable policy by codifying permitting reform through efforts like the SPEED Act, which NAED supports. According to Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), today’s permitting bottlenecks have been estimated to delay $1.5 trillion in projects that are awaiting final approval.  Further, these delays are responsible for a 30% increase in construction costs for developments and $140 billion in lost annual revenue. These efforts, combined with broad-based permitting reform, have the potential to have significant impacts on America’s capacity to extract more oil, natural gas, and minerals in the future. NAED Attends “Unleashing Alaska” – electrifiED

NAED Backs NEMA Tariff Incentive Proposal

William Attardi on September 9, 2025

Electrical equipment and grid components are the backbone of America’s energy, manufacturing, grid, and AI dominance priorities. To power growing demand for electricity, industrial capacity, and data centers, more of this infrastructure must be produced here at home. NEMA’s tariff incentive framework introduces a three-pronged approach to targeted, time-limited tariff incentives that support the Trump Administration’s industrial policy and energy objectives:

  1. Capital Investment in U.S. Manufacturing Incentive: A tariff offset equal to any capital investments made to build or expand a domestic manufacturing facility, available for up to three years after the facility is operational.
  2. Grid Infrastructure Incentive: A tariff offset for goods or raw materials used to build or operate our power infrastructure essential to global competitiveness, including but not limited to substations, on-site generation, distribution equipment, and data centers.
  3. Domestic Manufacturing Incentive: A tariff offset for manufactured goods that meet federal domestic content requirements.

NAED applauds NEMA’s innovative approach to incentivizing domestic manufacturing and grid expansion. To read NEMA’s tariff incentive proposal, click here.  NAED Backs NEMA Incentive Proposal – tEDmag

Powering the Future: Insights on the Growing Electrification Market

William Attardi on August 14, 2025

As electricity demand continues to grow, the electrical distribution industry is uniquely positioned to help lead the transformation of the energy landscape with the services, materials, and solutions needed to support its customers and drive progress. To help members navigate this shift, NAED’s Education & Research Foundation, in partnership with Ducker Carlisle, presents the research study: Electrification Drivers, Disruptors, and Scaling Your Business. This study delivers valuable insight into:

  • What’s driving electrification—and what may disrupt it
  • The most promising project areas for distributors
  • How to strategically scale and prepare your team

NAED Electrification Research

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names