Richmond Electrical Wholesale, otherwise known as REW, are electrical and security distributors which operate from three bases between Finglas and Ballymount, Co Dublin. The family-run company has earned a glowing reputation over the past four decades, so Building Ireland caught up with director Fergal McStay to learn more.
Coming up on its 40th anniversary, Richmond Electrical Wholesale in Co Dublin is still leading the way when it comes to electrical and security distribution.
Better known as REW, the company has thousands of product lines available ex-stock from its two warehouses in Finglas and Ballymount and have supplied high quality electrical and security products to commercial and domestic customers, from architects to designers.
REW’s extensive range of electrical and security products can successfully cater for all the needs of electrical contractors and security installers.
Fergal McStay is one of three brothers running the business and was able to take time from an increasingly busy schedule to tell Building Ireland what they’re all about.
“The company will be established 40 years next year and we’ve approximately 40 staff working here at the moment,” Fergal explained.
“It’s a family run business and the three directors are myself and my two brothers, Diarmuid and Noel. My father set-up the company originally on Richmond Road, which is where the ‘Richmond’ in Richmond Electrical Wholesale (REW) comes from.
“The business moved to Finglas in 2001 and we opened another base in Ballymount then in 2014. ‘Lightvault’, which is for residential customers with automation systems, started for us in the same year.”
REW is a main distributor and specialist for the following security products; ACT, Comelit, Eneo, Hayden, HKC, Panasonic, Risco, Scantronic, Siemens, UTC and Yuasa.
They offer their customers the right security solution, from individual products to entire wireless security systems, including the latest High definition CCTV and IP products.
REW is the main distributor in Ireland for Comelit intercom systems. They stock the complete range of Comelit products and offer a full technical support on all Comelit products in which the sell. Whether it’s traditional wiring, Simplebus 2 – the 2 wire digital system capable of audio and video or the latest IP offering, they can design and recommend to your required specification.
As a main distributor for Comelit intercom systems, the company offers a full product range, fully demonstrated in their showroom.
REW offer a full technical training and support service for all these products and more, with training courses run from their custom made training centre in the firm’s Finglas branch.
As aforementioned, the company has been situated in Finglas, where they operate an office and warehouse since 2001, and made the decision to open a second branch in the area eight years later, despite being in the midst of the recession.
Fergal explained that the family felt expansion was the way forward at the time and weren’t willing to let the economic downturn derail their plans to do so.
“We’ve developed very well since 2010,” he stated. “Being honest, they were tough times in and around 2009, but we decided to expand anyway and opened up a new branch. It paid off for us, thankfully.
“Right now we’re dealing with the some very big contracts on the electrical side and most of our work would be in the Leinster area. With regards to security work, we deal with the largest companies and we’re kept busy on all fronts.”
REW’s wiring accessories range is equally extensive with products sourced from many of the major manufacturers, including Click, Crabtree, GET, Eaton-MEM, Legrand and MK.
A vast range of both interior and exterior lighting products are stocked for both the commercial and domestic market from the leading brands such as Ansell, Coopers, Phillips, Robus and Thorn. The company also carries an extensive stock of lamps and tubes from traditional incandescent and fluorescent ranges to halogen, LED and halide discharge such as GE Lighting, Osram and Phillips.
They stock over 400 individual cables from standard house wiring and SWA to Data and Fire Resistant, NYM-J and Audio Visual to Telephone and LIYCY, from Flex to CCTV cable.
REW also specialises in Audio Video equipment, including the leading brands such as JVC, Panasonic, Sonos, Sony and Vogel.
The company prides itself on offering total customer satisfaction and is committed to providing its customers with the quality service.
Fergal feels much of REW’s success to date has come down to the quality of service that they offer, keeping them ahead of competitors in their market.
“I think the reason clients choose us first is because of the service that we offer,” he stated. “It’s the service, competiveness and the fact that we’re strong partners with the leading brands. The technical service that we offer is the reason.”
The vast knowledge and experience of REW’s staff members, along with their continuous training programs, enables the business to keep customers satisfied and informed of the latest technological developments.
One critical factor to maintaining the highest level of service is the ability to provide on time deliveries. That is why REW manages its own transport fleet which is further complemented by a premium service nationwide next day courier service.
With regards to REW’s showroom, it offers an exceptional selection of stand-alone and system functions making it ideal for any commercial or residential application. Arteor functions can be combined and customised at will allowing the user to create their own lighting scenarios and scenes.
In 2014, Lightvault – Ireland’s most innovative electrical retailing showroom – became a wholly owned subsidiary of REW. They’ve been in business since 1977 and are regarded as Ireland’s premier supplier to the electrical trade.
Lightvault have built a commendable reputation for being the lighting specialists within the country and strives to be the ‘one stop shop’ for all your lighting and home control needs.
Now, three years on, the REW is moving towards another innovative, as Fergal explained.
“The future for us is web shops. For us, that’s the direction we need to move in and we’ve already started to do so,” he concluded.
Richmond Electrical Wholesale
Address1: Unit 17/18, Finglas Business Centre,
Jamestown Road, Dublin 11
P: 01 652 7036, F: 01 856 9831
Address 2: Unit 2, Redcow Retail Centre,
Robinhood Road,
Ballymount, Dublin 12
P: 01 464 2200, F: 01 456 8802
E-mail: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, November 2017, Vol 3 No 10
