Electrical Distributors Co., B&K Electric Wholesale Pledge Significant Commitments To NAED Foundation

St. Louis, MO - The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) announces two significant pledges by electrical distributor members to the NAED Education & Research Foundation's Channel Advantage Partnership endowment. Electrical Distributors Co., San Jose, Calif., has made a $50,000 commitment in memory of Tyke Lehmann. B & K Electric Wholesale, City of Industry, Calif., has made a $25,000 commitment.

Founded in 1948 by Tyke Lehmann, Electrical Distributors Co. has provided outstanding service to electrical contractors, industrial plants and commercial organizations for over 50 years. Currently led by Chet Lehmann, the company has grown to encompass over 100 employees and four branches throughout California. The company's Web site is www.electdist.com.

B & K Electric Wholesale is a regional distributor providing electrical products and services to the industrial, OEM, institutional, and contractor communities. The company has been in business for over 45 years and has eight locations throughout California. Kathy Ellison, daughter of co-founder William Kindrick, serves as president and CEO. The company's Web site is www.bk-electric.com.

"We appreciate the support of Electrical Distributors and B & K Electric to the NAED Foundation. They know how important education and research are to the future of the industry. We are confident that they will bring valuable feedback about educational programs and research," said Jim Morlan, chairman of the Channel Advantage Partnership (CAP) Associates and president of Electric Supply, Inc. in Phoenix, Ariz.

The donations are part of an endowment fund for the NAED Education & Research Foundation. The principal amount of the fund remains untouched, while the interest is used to commission future projects and studies. Electrical Distributors Co. and B & K Electric Wholesale will have a permanent position on the CAP Associates advisory group, which provides small-to-medium size distributors a voice in the selection and implementation of the Foundation's research and education projects.

As CAP Associates, members meet annually to discuss industry issues and work together to develop research topics. Each project selected by the CAP Council will be assigned a Partnership Task Force made up of both CAP Council and Associate members. This task force will monitor and help shape the project – calling on the advice, experiences and suggestions of all industry members.

In 2006, the CAP endowment has funded two research studies, "Managing Customer Profitability" and "Value-Added: Assessing Service Offerings of Electrical Distributors." For more information about the research projects, contact NAED Customer Service. One copy of each study is sent at no cost to each NAED member company.

SOURCE: NAED