Articles
- Bucks for Burns: Putting Child Safety First
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The Julian Burton Burns Trust and Clipsal Australia have announced Bucks For Burns – a three year national partnership to save children’s lives. Proudly promoted by Gemcell in Gemcell stores Australia wide.
- P&R Electrical Wholesalers
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South Australia is home to not only Australia’s largest electrical equipment manufacturer, it’s also the state where – in electrical wholesaling – one name stands tall. Its initials are P&R.
- Davis Lighting
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While some companies downsized in 2009, Davis Lighting thumbed their nose at the downturn and built a new base in South Australia. Now well positioned to service the fast-growing Australian lighting market, this world-based company with an ECOSmart agenda is set to celebrate 20 years in Australia come 2011.
- Gordon Macdonald: The Illawarra’s leading Independent turns 50!
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On April 1st, one of Gemcell’s founding member businesses turned 50. The company’s founder, the late Gordon Macdonald, helped launch The Gemcell Group. Gordon Macdonald has grown to become the leading electrical wholesaler in the Illawarra, South Coast and Southern Highlands.
- Key Plastics: The Key to Success
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The electrical trade owes a lot to plastics and the technology behind them. No-one would want to go back to the days of metal conduit – PVC product performs so much better – yet how often do we stop and think about the companies with scientific and technical resources that deliver such user-friendly products into our hands?
- ISAS
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Growing a business in a sparsely populated region requires dedication, passion for excellence, hard work and most of all, resilience and persistence. Despite the tyranny of distance and climatic extremes, ISAS has won several supplier excellence awards and is the preferred supplier for many key players in industry and commerce.
- An Introduction to Eaton Corporation
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Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company and global technology leader in electrical components and systems.
- Eaton Moeller Integration
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During 2009 customers can expect to see a whole new look for the electrical components, systems and services leader, Eaton Industries.
- PowerPlus Griffith
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If you are growing produce of any kind, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area includes some of the most fertile land in Australia. But farming is not the only industry thriving in the MIA. According to PowerPlus Griffith the electrical trade is strong in all fields.
- Thomas & Betts: Local focus, global strength
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After 29 years in Australia this global company is set to launch two significant new ranges that will set the benchmark for user friendliness.
- PowerPlus Lighting & Electrical Wagga Wagga
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The old expression: “…must be something in the water” could well have originated in Wagga Wagga. An unusually high number of elite sports stars come from this regional city in southern New South Wales. But there’s also an independent electrical wholesaler in Wagga Wagga setting new standards for performance levels. Could it be the famous “Wagga Effect” working for them?
- Vealls Electrical Wholesale Supplies
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In one form or another this company has serviced the Melbourne electrical industry for almost 100 years. Now Vealls Electrical Wholesale has moved with the times right into the 21st century but small vital parts of its interesting history remain.
- Tesla Motors - Plugin Performance
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A dynamic, innovative motor company based in California has released a svelte new electric car in the U.S. and Europe that excites car enthusiasts and environmentalists in equal measure. If you think battery power will never replace petrol power on Australian roads, read on.
- Good old fashioned service – the law at Sherriff Electrical
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Sherriff implements modern strategies that support its customers without losing sight of the company’s traditional values. The benefits are there for all to see.
- Robert Fergusson
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Two expansions in twenty three years laid solid foundations for Robert Fergusson. But when his next expansion was to take over his former employer’s business, Robert must have felt there was no stopping him. The next forty eight years showed that prediction was right on the money.
- NHP Electrical Engineering Products Pty Ltd
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This Australian owned company is celebrating 40 successful years by demonstrating its commitment to the Australian electrical industry. This includes strengthening its partnerships, broadening its product range and expanding its service network.
- Salmon Bros. Data & Electrical
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Salmon Bros Electric has been a part of the building and Electrical Trade in Australia for almost eighty years and as an electrical wholesaler for over sixty years in the Sydney region. The electrical wholesaling business has continued to expand and now operates five branches in the Sydney Metropolitan Area.
- Dubbo Powerhouse Pty Ltd & Cobar Powerhouse Pty Ltd
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Out west where men talk beef and bullion, there’s a small business with a heart as big as the mines that are its lifeblood.
- Crompton Lighting
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Crompton is one of the oldest lighting companies in the world, founded in England by Colonel Rookes Crompton, an entrepreneur with an interest in electricity. He designed and installed some of the earliest recorded electric lighting installations in the UK at places such as Windsor Castle and Kings Cross Station.
- Castle Hill Electrical Wholesalers
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When he worked for another electrical wholesaler, Greg Roffey sometimes dreamed of running his own business. Now the dream has been a reality for seventeen years, and all Greg can dream about is an occasional day off.
- Mekolec & Company
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Going into business on April Fool’s Day may not be everyone’s idea of a sound business plan, but after 32 years building Mekolec into a most successful operation, John O’Neill has proven that his judgement was sound.
- PRYSMIAN Cables & Systems
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Although the name has only been around for a little over three years, Prysmian Cables & Systems is an established world class multinational company with sales of more than Euro 5 billion in 2007.
- EWM
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Most start-up businesses begin small and EWM is no exception. It was July 1988 and John Bratt and John Bennett decided to start a business of their own.
- Gainforts Electrical Wholesale
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In Sydney’s northern regions, Gainforts drives your dollar further.
- World Connections Back Sylvania's Diverse product Range
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One of the few companies in the world that produces both lamps and light fixtures, SLA’s strong ties with the international network coupled with unrivalled local knowledge has earned the company much respect in the tough Australian marketing environment.
- ROVERT - Setting new standards in lighting & electrical
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When Rovert opened their Rutherford lighting showroom the trade reacted with enthusiastic praise, calling it the most impressive lighting showroom in NSW (and possibly Australia). A proud achievement for a company that began trading in a shed. Little wonder Rovert is now a standard-setter for the industry.
- Electrical Distributors - Twenty years a fair test for the best in the west
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Since first opening its doors in Belmont, Electrical Distributors has traversed both the peaks and the troughs of the huge industrial landscape of Western Australia. Now, in its twentieth year of trading, principals John Moore and Greg Jones take time out for reflection and celebration.
- hager B&R – two market leaders in perfect synthesis
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Hager B&R, the amalgamation of Australia’s largest manufacturer of electrical enclosures with Europe’s leading global installation systems company, has become a dynamic player in the Australian electrical services marketplace. Design awards plus the launch of a new range of innovative products points to an exciting future for this progressive company.
- CNW Electrical and Data Supplies
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For over 55 years CNW has been serving the needs of Australia’s electrical industry and is now the leading independent. This proud Queensland based company just keeps on growing yet remains 100% Australian owned.
- Fairfield Electrical Supplies – Fast, efficient, service!
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Venturing out into business on his own was a leap into the unknown for Pat Catanzariti. Luckily for Pat and the Catanzariti family, there were some good people out there who helped them land on their feet.
- Clipsal — A global success story
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An industry leader, a member of one of the largest worldwide corporations and a company working towards an eco-friendly world, Clipsal Australia continues to prove itself to be one of the great business success stories in Australia.
- Leichhardt Electrical Wholesaler — All in the family
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If ever it could be said that a business reflects the virtues of its owners, Leichhardt Electrical Wholesalers is a textbook example.
- Herkes Electrical Supplies — from the stable to the stage
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The name Herkes Electrical Supplies may not release a flood of adrenalin that would cause an increase or "spike" in your pulse rate. Compared with the diverse and exciting products that are available through this progressive company and the events that have been made possible because of the company's involvement in a diverse range of endeavours and activities, Herkes Electrical Supplies is a plain brown wrapper. But as the old proverb goes; what's in a name?
- CABAC - Progressive, innovative, proudly Australian
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When an electrical supplier offers its customers over 8,500 products, some might say it has earned the right to call itself a serious player. Now, with its 25th anniversary behind it, CABAC deserves a few moments out to take a breath, but not a moment will be spent resting on its 350 page catalogue. Not when there are new products to add.
- Popes Electrical & Data Supplies - Up for the challenge
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When Daryl Read bought John Pope Electrical, he knew nothing about the electrical trade. but Daryl threw himself in at the deep end and somehow managed to stay afloat. at the time, Daryl remembers wondering if he was crazy. Now, looking back on those hectic first years, Daryl is sure that he was.
- Prospect Electrical Wholesalers - Big future prospects
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As one of the founding members of Gemcell celebrates 30 years of successful trading, Electrical Gems pays tribute to a small company with big prospects for the future.
- Pierlite: One of the few Australian manufacturers of lighting left in Australia
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From humble beginnings in the 1930's, the Gerard family has journeyed along an exciting path within the electrical industry. In recent years, Gerard Corporation's flagship brand, Pierlite, has positioned itself as a market leader in Australasia for design, manufacturing and distribution of architectural, industrial and commercial lighting systems. Through this experience, Pierlite has followed an even more exciting path that involves development of a dynamic global network.
- Lecky's Electrical Wholesaler
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Since Lecky's Electrical Wholesale first opened its doors back in May 1990, Lecky's' customers have always been its strength, and directors Rod Harvey and Craig McBride fully acknowledge that. Rod and Craig both take immense pride in the success of the business that began eighteen years ago, in a small warehouse in Catherine Street, in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg.
- Borg Electrical Distributors
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BORG Electrical Distributors began modestly, but unlike so many fledgling businesses that crash soon after take-off, BORG Electrical overcame a great many obstacles and proved the doubters wrong. And back in October 1978, when BORG first opened its doors, there were a few.
- Olex: Global products, Local solutions
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Olex, the leading Australian cable producer for over 65 years, is now part of the world's largest cable company Nexans.
- C-Bus automation
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C-Bus automation the right solution for this luxury home on the Apple Isle.
- Professional excellence a firm foundation for Thorn Lighting's impressive new facilities
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THORN Lighting, the well-established global brand and manufacturer of professional indoor and outdoor lighting, recently celebrated the opening of its exciting new Australian manufacturing, training and logistics facility at Wetherill Park. The new facilities demonstrate that Thorn has taken a bold step into the future, but its professional culture and industry support policy remain more than ever, firmly attuned to the needs of the present.
- Cairns Electrical Wholesalers
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Anyone who thinks the laid-back lifestyle that some tropical resort towns are famous for permeates to all levels of the local population has never done business with Cairns Electrical Wholesalers. This progressive, hard-working company has a reputation for taking on the challenges others won't.
- Lakes Electrical Distributors
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When LED won their category in the 2000 Kalgoorlie Boulder CCI Goldfields Business Awards from over 23 nominations, it was a wake-up call for opposition companies who said LED would never last. More recently, having won a much bigger award, a three year supply contract with Goldfields St Ives, LED has proven beyond doubt that their success was no "flash in the pan".
- Change of HPM ownership brings new technologies and more choice for customers
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This year's acquisition of HPM by leading international electrical products company, Legrand, marks an exciting shake-up of the local industry. The merger is heralded as levelling the electrical industry playing field, benefiting the industry by providing it with a much needed viable choice of supplier and new product innovations.
- Being pro-Active kicks goals for Victorian chain and its clients
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Rapid expansion, seven outlets and a growing customer base is proof that ACTIVE is doing a lot of things right. In Victoria, that includes looking after their trade customers, and supporting the local footy code.
- GCM stays tuned to the trade in Northern NSW
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The New South Wales city of Tamworth is home to much more than the Big Golden Guitar. The country music capital of Australia now boasts a lighting and electrical wholesaler that's built a solid gold reputation by marching to a different tune.
- Steering By The Stars
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Satellite navigation has come of age. Originally a technology devised for military purposes, the Global Positioning System has been continuously developed and is now accessible to any private individual who buys a GPS receiver. On land, in the air and at sea, GPS is designed to take the guesswork out of navigation and can pinpoint your position on almost any point on earth, within about 50 metres or even less. In your car, truck or van, GPS can guide you street by street, turn by turn, right to your destination. It could even save your licence.
- Silent Witness
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Forget everything you have ever heard about surveillance cameras! The future of electronic surveillance belongs to the IP camera, and the future is here! Digital technology gives the IP camera its super powers, yet digital technology can also enhance the capabilities of both new and existing CCTV systems. On the following pages we tell you how, and give you a taste of why digital will make life much harder technology for criminals, and a whole lot easier for prosecutors.
- Upgrading for energy efficiency
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The government's environmental agencies are beginning to look at old buildings in much the same way that they look at old cars: energy-hungry and polluting. The good news is that unlike old cars, it is (in many cases) economically astute to replace the electricals, plant and equipment in old buildings with new, energy efficient equipment that pays for itself.
- Facts you should know about Compact Fluorescent Lamps
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"Assuming Fluorescent Technologies take over the position of the Incandescent lamp, there will be some technical issues that should be understood, particularly for the commercial and industrial sectors."
Mark West — National Sales and Marketing Manager Sylvania Lighting Australasia.
- Environmental Lighting Opportunities (ELO's)
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The ELO or Environmental Lighting Opportunity available today, is the chance to identify an old installation, and to present an argument to the client that a lighting upgrade is a good idea. Today you hear a great deal about T5 lamps. They are only 16mm in diameter and are shorter than the T8 lamps that they replace. As they have a more efficient construction, their 'Light Out' to 'Power In' ratio is up to 104 lumens/watt.
- Get Smart, Get Green
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After decades of debate, the verdict on global warming has finally been delivered and it's not good news. In response, energy management, a growing market sector that has long been a sleeping giant looks set for revival. Proposed future legislation could drive demand for energy saving solutions to unprecedented heights and when it does, contractors who make the decision to specialise in energy management could be riding the crest of a boom.
- How Good Is That?
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A power point up-scaled in size that accommodates the fattest chargers and power packs, a powersaving EXIT sign that conceals more smart electronics than Inspector Gadget's right arm, a simple yet clever cable/conduit fixing product designed to slash cabling time to ribbons and a brilliant home networking solution that neatly packages a pre-matched home automation system into its own custom built enclosure? No, we're not dreaming. All these products are available at Gemcell now AND we review them (plus many more) on the following pages.
