Sponsored By: Keystone
With Bill Sgro & Scott Mendelsohn of NALMCO
10/21/19 – Lighting Episode 105(Full Version) – Bill Sgro & Scott Mendelsohn of NALMCO47:50
On the floor of Nalmco’s Convention in Minneapolis we met up with two of its directors, Bill Sgro and Scott Mendelsohn to talk about the generational aspect of our industry and the value of networking at conventions like these. We also get into the incentive bubble, the future of what we’ll be making and selling as IoT adoption reaches a tipping point, current challenges and foreseeable problems. The episode closes out with some commiserations on the lack of leadership and standardization in lighting and where that leaves us all vulnerable to exploitation.
Your Resources
– Keystone Technologies
– National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD)
This is a topic that is “spot on” for today’s lighting retrofit environment. I have been screaming this at the top of my lungs for the past two years — “the way we do business is about ready to change!” From my perspective, we are entering a moment in time where those that did it right will be prepared, and those who ignored the signs and avoided controls while selling TLEDs will have done their clients a HUGE injustice! While incentives and rebates are still available for the fluorescent to LED conversion, they will NOT be there when the LED to LED conversion and re-fit inevitably takes place — the burden will be on the end-user and that will be a powerful challenge for all of us! We need to think big TODAY! Sell integrated fixtures……sell controls…..avoid the TRAP created by TLEDs……and give clients of today a path to upgrade to the latest technology and take advantage of the IoT-Future with the client’s financial well being at the top of your professional concerns! It’s a perfect time for this conversation — Nice job gentlemen!
Great Comments Devon and thank you for listening so thoroughly. NAILD distributors and NALMCO contractors are the front lines of this business. Where the rubber meets the road. We plan to keep this dialogue up!
Hosts of the show.
the IoT (Internet of Things) is the future! But I think that the next frontier has to include Tunable White and “environmental” considerations within the conversation. The technology, as you say, is there and has been for some time. That said, there is still too many who are not discussing or recognizing the opportunities out of fear — Technology can be scary! The environmental concerns are becoming an even bigger topic and that, in and of itself, is complex…..tie it to the IoT and “Good God!” We need to find ways to make sure that our industry gets back to “solution selling” where the solution is what’s best for the client, not the easiest for the sales individual — “If it’s on I’m gone” has to be defeated! I hope you continue to add on to this — you’re headed in the right direction!
Bill made a very important statement regarding who is leading in today’s LED environment — it is not the big three — it is not in the US either. Our industry has been greatly affected, to our detriment in many ways, by China! When the price of every product in our industry is driving a “race to the bottom” environment, it’s clear to see who is leading. This is a huge problem and is why the Big-3 are getting out — it’s not economical! At some point, this has to change. I’m so glad to hear Bill state the reality that so many refuse to admit. We need to continue to discuss and find ways to make change happen in our country. Great topic!