Value for money and a quality service are two key elements to any successful business. Without either the likelihood is that customers would be tempted to take their trade elsewhere. Experience is another vital ingredient in the mix — one that takes time and dedication to nurture.
If there’s one firm in Ireland’s Electrical Wholesale arena that embodies all three of those qualities then it has to be Kellihers Electrical.
Headquartered in Tralee, Co Kerry, Kellihers has earned its reputation as the “complete electrical wholesaler”. With 20 branches across the country, Kellihers is Ireland’s leading electrical wholesaler, and the company continues to expand, with a new outlet set to open in Finglas, Dublin soon.
“We are always looking for new opportunities to better serve our customers and we feel the Finglas branch will help service a big area in the north of the city,” said Marketing Manager Brian Sugrue when he spoke to Building Ireland about what makes Kellihers Electrical so successful.
“We trade as CT Electric in Galway, Castlebar, Sligo, Ballina and Athlone, and use the Kellihers brand across the rest of the country,” he explained. “We recently re-branded our Dundalk branch, which was formerly Fitzpatricks, to adopt the well-known Kellihers Electrical brand.”
PURCHASING POWER
In 2006, the Rexel Group bought Kellihers Electrical from GE Supply and in doing so strengthened its buying power substantially.
Rexel is a global leader in the distribution of electrical supplies and services, servicing three key markets: industrial, commercial and residential. The Group has a global network of some 2,200 branches spanning 38 countries worldwide, and employs over 30,000 people.
“Being part of such a reputable and global multinational positions Kellihers strongly in the Irish marketplace,” said Brian. “It allows us to leverage economies of scale to negotiate the best price with suppliers, and we can pass those savings on to our customers, offering them competitive pricing and outstanding value for money.
“We source all of our cabling direct from the factory gate and ensure it meets our stringent quality standards. We only deal with industry leading, quality brands such as Philips, Schneider, Dimplex and Robus LED Group. Furthermore having lighting agencies such as LUG Light Factory, NVC, Ansell, OMS and Disano/Fosnova cements our position as Ireland’s leading electrical wholesaler. We work closely with all of our suppliers to ensure we can meet our customers’ requirements, in terms of features, benefits and price,” he said.
TURNKEY SERVICES
As well as being Ireland’s best source of competitive high-quality electrical, data and lighting products, Kellihers augments the customer experience by offering a true turnkey service for those who want a little more from their electrical supply partner.
“An in-house lighting design service team with CAD designers Declan, Brian and Darren is also provided by Kellihers. Our lighting experts can design and specify the best lighting solution for the customers’ needs. This entails checking to see how many and what type of fittings would be required to light a certain space to conform to best practise and meet any regulations relating to the intended use of that space. We also have a dedicated Panel Building unit, who can design and build electrical panels to meet the clients’ requirements.”
Recent panel shop projects include Barack Obama Plaza, Tara Mines, Sligo IT Library, Connacht Rugby Pitch Lighting and Kings Laundry, Cork.
Always looking to broaden the scope of the service it can offer customers, Kellihers recently acquired Astrotek, a specialist distributor of lighting products and systems focused on commercial, medical, pharma, retail and industrial/infrastructure applications, as well as educational and high spec residential projects. The Astrotek design team, under the expert guidance of manager John Hughes, particularly enjoy projects requiring bespoke solutions.
“We have seen increased investment across all our markets but especially in the Dublin area where fit-outs of premium commercial space are accelerating at a rapid pace and we are now part of this activity,” Brian pointed out.
Renewable Energy is also an area that has grown in significance in recent years and again, Kellihers hasn’t been dragging its heels. They established their subsidiary company Rexel Energy Solutions (www.rexelenergysolutions.ie) specifically to service the emerging renewable energy market and offer Kellihers customers access to specialist skills in the area of Solar Photovoltaic and other innovative energy solutions currently in the marketplace.
In fact Kellihers Electrical is the only electrical wholesaler with its own dedicated renewables expert, Damien Phillips, further reinforcing Kellihers’ commitment to renewable energy and providing a turnkey service to its customers.
“We stock a full range of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels, inverters, mounting equipment and accessories. We also specialise in energy efficiency products, home automation, electric vehicle charging and efficient electric heating,” said Brian.
“At Rexel Energy Solutions, we stock all the necessary products required for the installation and commissioning of a solar photovoltaic system. We supply everything you need to get your solar PV system up and running, and can deliver throughout Ireland.
“We can also help you plan and manage major projects – from quotation through to holding dedicated stock and making scheduled deliveries to site. We are 100% a turnkey service.”
Kellihers stores are open six days a week and their friendly staff are there to help with any queries a customer might have.
“One of our key assets are the 250 staff we employ nationwide, many of whom have years of service with the company. They are familiar with the customers, and have developed a mutual trust. Our customers know they will get the best service and deal possible from Kellihers staff. This is a people business and Kellihers have the best staff in Ireland. With their years of experience, our staff have built up long standing relationships with customers through their knowledge and excellent customer service.”
Another way that Kellihers Electrical helps to make its customers’ lives easier is the fact they offer an excellent free delivery service within their branch catchment areas. With over 40 vans on the road every day they make sure customers get the electrical supplies they need, when they need them.
“The delivery service is just our way of saying thanks to the customer. No matter where they are located in the country, we will have a branch nearby and our van drivers can be there in no time at all,” said Brian.
“We like to combine the fact that we are a local Irish business with all the benefits and reassurances that come with being part of a truly global electrical product supply group. We take real pride in our ability to meet the electrical product supply needs of everyone from major industry players to independent contractors, and we look forward to continuing this for many years to come!”
Contact Details:
Kellihers Electrical
Ballymullen, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Tel: 066 714 5300
Fax: 066 712 1775 www.kellihers.com
Taken from Building Ireland magazine, October 2016, Vol 2 No 6
