The Most Read of 2020

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Well, 2020 was an interesting year with so many changes to how we work, live, and socialize! Despite the tumultuous nature of the year, there was still cause to celebrate, and here at Gordon we celebrated the kind acts of our friends, colleagues, and partners with the creation of our Gordon Go-Getter page of the blog. It never ceased to amaze us how our community and industry came together.

Last year also had some new products introduced and new additions to the Gordon team. We are proud of everyone for making it through 2020! And thank you to all of blog readers for sticking with our puns and trips down memory lane. This top 3 list of the most read Product Talk posts is possible because of you. So without further ado, the three most read posts of 2020:

  1. Better Than a Lunchable and Bubblegum Rope! We introduced the new and improved Scotch Super 33+ Electrical Tape by 3M while learning about trends of the 90’s.
  2. If you haven’t been checked, then maybe it’s time!! We revisited a favorite from 2019 in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The pink 3M hardhats are a Gordon favorite!
  3. You’re not cool, unless you have a cooling towel! Back in July, all we could think about was beating the summer heat on the job, which made our discovering of the cooling towel by Klein Tools all the more exciting.

Happy New Year and here’s to 2021!

Rust Never Sleeps!

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Not just the name of a great album by Neil Young, but the truth!

I busted my knuckles more than once trying to loosen rusted nuts and bolts. The scars still remain.

Steel is a metal that holds a lot of iron, and let’s say, for instance, that steel is constantly surrounded by environmental factors like water and oxygen, the steel may start to see signs of rust in as little as 4-5 days. At the same time, there are different types of steel that can rust slower or faster than others.

To avoid metal from rusting 3M has 16-501 Zinc Spray.

3M™ Zinc Spray 16-501 is a dispersion of fine powdered 97% pure zinc in petroleum distillates, used to inhibit rust and corrosion of metal surfaces. More about the spray:
• Non-corrosive
• Controlled drying
• Non-CFC
• Halogen free
• Easy application by aerosol spray
• Meets MIL-P26915D
• Comparable to hot dip galvanizing (at 0.0015-inch thickness)

Avoid rust from forming by using 3M Zinc Spray!!

~Woody

Made in America

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A main goal of web design is creating an efficient user experience for site visitors, often based on easy navigation and page loading speed. Another element of an efficient website is providing tools for the user to find what they are searching for.

In November, we launched a new search filter on our website that shows which products from your search are made in America. So many of the brands that we sell are manufactured in the United States, and we wanted to highlight this information normally located in the specification section after clicking on a product.

All you need to do is enter what you are looking for in the search bar:

 

 

Or Click on the Shop Now or Manufacturers tabs to view product types and brands Gordon supplies:

 

 

Once you reach the results page, you can choose to show only the American made products by clicking on “Made in USA” option on the search filter bar on the left side of the screen.

 

 

This will show all of the products from your search that are made in the USA. Pretty simple, right?

We want to thank all of our partners for providing new, updated product information. And we hope you enjoy the new search filter!

 

 

 

#138 And Feeling Great!

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Gordon Electric Supply made Electrical Wholesaling magazine’s list of top 200 electrical distributors for 2020, coming in at #138 on the list. The 2020 list is comprised of large franchised and independent distributors, created from 2019 data yet updated sometimes to reflect acquisitions and new trends.

According to an analysis from Electrical Wholesaling, the backlog of contractor projects helped the electrical distribution industry sail into 2020 with momentum despite a slowing in the nonresidential construction sector. The disruption caused by COVID-19 also provided trends as responses and data was analyzed for the creation of the list. These trends showed that the resilience and versatility of our industry cannot be underestimated as many distributors rise to the challenge and continue to grow during this time.

As Gordon CEO, Cara Gordon Potter, stated earlier this year in an interview with IMARK Electrical, “Our biggest takeaway is an appreciation of the resilience and team spirit of our workforce and the importance of diversification of our customer base…Once again, I was thankful to be a participant in a strong, essential industry.”

The full list can be accessed on the Electrical Wholesaling website.

“For the times, they are a’ changing”

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These lyrics mean as much today as they did 56 years ago when Bob Dylan wrote them.

Man, it seems like the world got really crazy in less than a year, and we have had to change a lot of our habits really fast!

I think shopping has been the hardest to adapt. We used to be able to take our time, perusing the isles for what we want. Now, we get in, and out as fast as we can, not making contact with anyone.

On-line shopping is now the wave of the world, and we here at Gordon are ready to help! Whether you use your phone or on the office desktop, we’ve got you covered.

If you are reading this, then you are already there! Just do a search for what you are looking for. If you can’t find it, just call and we will help you.

Hopeful soon things will get back to normal and I can get back to the guitar stores to annoy the clerks by playing Stairway to Heaven at full volume.

Remember to stay safe, wash your hands (which is something our parents taught us long ago), social distance, and shop www.gordonelectricsupply.com!!

~Woody

Better than a Lunchable and Bubblegum Rope!

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When I was a kid, one of the popular things to buy with your pocket change was bubblegum. It was a constant favorite throughout my childhood unlike the Beanie Baby fad or Tamagotchi pets that did not last long. My sister and I used to have contests to see who could blow the biggest bubble, and we always bought the bubblegum rope. To the child version of me, the bubblegum rope felt like it contained more than the sticks of gum did. And if I was going to spend the little money I made from a lemonade stand on anything it would be the option that has the most gum–and a Lunchable!

Seeing the improved Scotch Super 33+ Vinyl Electrical Tape with 15% more tape (76 ft. now instead of 66 ft.) reminded me of the bubblegum ropes. It felt like this was the bubblegum rope for electricians and contractors, providing a little more than other electrical tapes. But the Scotch tape from 3M has many other notable features to aid you on the job like:

  • 7-mil thick vinyl insulating tape
  • All-weather design performs in ambient temperatures up to 221 degrees Fahrenheit and comfortable in cold weather down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Excellent resistance to abrasion, moisture, alkalies, acids, corrosion and varying weather conditions (including UV exposure)
  • Provides moisture-tight electrical and mechanical protection with minimum bulk
  • Primary electrical insulation for all wire, cable splices and bus applications up to 600 volts
  • Used for protective jacketing on high voltage cable splices and repairs
  • Compatible with solid dielectric cable insulations
  • Compatible with rubber and synthetic splicing compounds
  • Compatible with epoxy and polyurethane resins
  • Inhibits corrosion of electrical conductors
  • For indoor and outdoor applications
  • Used for harnessing and bundling of wires and cable applications
  • UL Listed: UL 510 Standard “Insulating Tape”, Category OANZ, File No. E129200
  • CSA Listed: CSA-C22.2 No.197 “PVC Insulating Tape”, File No. 048769, Class 9052-02

Now all we need is to make sure those Beanie Babies are really the currency of the future like we were told so we can get the Scotch Super 33+ Vinyl Electrical Tape!

~Kristine

Company News: Samantha Barone Joins Gordon!

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Samantha Barone has been hired by Gordon Electric Supply as the new e-commerce customer service representative. She will be working with the web sales team in support of our customers by providing helpful information and answering questions.

Samantha’s computer skills will be an asset to the team from her experience working on inventory management at a local train yard as well as the completion of Computer Applications courses. She is excited to join Gordon after learning about “how everyone works together and the opportunities to grow,” Samantha said, adding, “I knew I wanted to be a part of that.” In her free time, she enjoys reading and trying new foods.

A news brief about Samantha’s hiring was published in The Daily Journal on October 28, 2020 and can be read here.

Company News: Gordon Gives Back

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The Core Values Award was introduced to the Gordon team back in March 2020 as a new way to recognize employees who embody the company core values–reliability, compassion, teamwork, resourcefulness–as well as supporting local charities. The Core Values Award winner, announced at our semi-annual meeting, chooses a charity and Gordon Electric Supply will then donate $1000 on behalf of the employee.

The purpose for the Core Values Award, according to Gordon CEO Cara Gordon Potter, “is to recognize an employee’s exceptional contribution and reward them with the honor of supporting our community with a donation from Gordon to the nonprofit of their choice.” Rob Burgess, an e-commerce sales representative, was recognized by coworkers for his dedication to teamwork and to training new employees on company culture as well as systems and procedures. He chose the Iroquois County Animal Rescue (ICARe) to receive the $1000 donation for their commitment to the welfare of local animals.

On Saturday October 24, Rob Burgess and his family joined Sheri Ritchie, human resources manager, to represent Gordon Electric Supply and award ICARe with the donation check in a small ceremony at the shelter in Iroquois, IL. The Burgess family had previously adopted a cat from ICARe, so they have firsthand knowledge of the hard work that the shelter does for the community. They were excited to return and look to give another cat a good home!

Congrats to Rob Burgess and the ICARe team!

If you haven’t been checked, then maybe it’s time!!

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. We see the advertisements and posters so much that they don’t sink in so we don’t think about it until it is too late.

If you have never been tested it’s a good idea to get it done. Early detection is the key!!

Gordon Electric Supply takes cancer very seriously, so to show our support we once again will be selling the pink 3M hard hats and donating a portion of the proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

3M H-713R PINK HARD HAT
Technical Description:
4-Point Ratchet Suspension Type; HDPE Material; Pink Color; ANSI Z87.1 Applicable Standard; Grinding, Electrical, Remediation, Machine Operations, Sanding, Welding, Demolition, Painting, Assembly, Cleaning Application; SERIES H-700 Model

~Woody