Grote Industries has named Southwire Canada (SWC) its Supplier of the Year. SWC has supported Grote Industries’ sales growth and helped improve the operational efficiency of its manufacturing process, according to an announcement.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by Grote Industries for our efforts to be Canada’s number one supplier for electrical wire and cable,” says Maureen Russolo, vice president, customer experience. “We look forward to building on recent momentum to create a stronger, more reliable supply chain for both companies.”
SWC has been Grote’s strategic partner for 29 years, providing wiring solutions for the company’s advanced products in vehicle, trailer and battery cables.
In reworking Grote’s service model, Southwire introduced an enhanced customer experience strategy to improve overall service and product delivery, which improved reporting and communication throughout the manufacturing and product delivery cycle to support Grote’s production and sales goals. The new resource alignment led to improved accuracy in supply chain forecasts and dramatically improved their On Time in Full delivery, the company says.
“SWC really listened to our needs as a customer,” says Kirk Batten, Grote Industries controller. “They demonstrated leadership and genuine interest in partnering with Grote. They have dramatically improved their level of service for all aspects of our business.”
This level of efficiency is especially important during the harsh winter months in the trucking industry. The availability of Grote branded products ready to ship from SWC stock points has increased sales to trucking customers with urgent, unplanned maintenance to their fleets to keep freight moving across North America. Enhanced communication between the two operations has enabled both companies to manage costs and increase revenue while providing superior service to Grote’s customers, the companies say.
“We are growing very quickly, and I am thrilled to have SWC as a strategic partner in our growth,” says Batten. “I would highly recommend SWC to others in the industry.”
