As the economy grappled with recession over the past four years, it drove consumers toward more value-oriented products. At the same time, integrators pared down their inventories and staff. This perfect storm led to the increasing reliance upon distributors in the industry. And now that the U.S. has emerged from the economic malaise, distributors aren’t about to relinquish any of the gains they have made. Indeed, distributors are becoming more vital partners for custom integrators than ever before.
They have expanded their services to not only just be a place to buy products, but also to act as design consultants, training specialists and more. It’s no wonder that the latest CE Pro research data from the 2013 State of the Industry report shows that distributors increased their market share by 3 percent in 2012 vs. 2011, while the percentage of product being bought factory direct fell by 7 percent last year. Distributors also appear to be holding ground against retail and online retail.
This year’s annual CE Pro Distribution Guide includes an A-to-Z listing, both national and by region, of distributors that custom integrators can turn to for their purposes. This handy reference is designed to help you find the right distributor and the right products for your custom installation business.
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