Discover independent electrical wholesaler Active Electrical Distributors in Victoria – still one of the industry’s best-kept secrets.

It was almost 30 years ago that Daryl Treweek founded independent electrical wholesaler Active Electrical Distributors in Victoria – and the best part of three decades later, the business is still thriving, thanks to its dedication to providing contractors with an exceptional level of customer service.

Founded in 1996, the business today has eight branches across Victoria – four regional and four metro, in Moorabbin, Bayswater, Port Melbourne, Thomastown, Geelong, Morwell, Bendigo and Ballarat, employing more than 40 staff.

General Manager Lance Elkes explains the business grew as opportunities presented themselves, based on the needs of customers and contractors in the areas in which they operate.

“The business operates on the brand values instilled by Daryl, which can be summed up by the notion of making things happen for our customers,” he says.

“Our approach to customer service is why the business has been successful over the years and stayed the course – it’s not just how we deal with contractors when they’re in the branches, but our relentless dedication to ensuring our customers have what they need, when they need it.”

That approach is illustrated perfectly by a recent situation when an urgent situation in a building around Port Melbourne meant a contractor needed help – and fast!

“Our customer had a situation that required immediate action,” says Lance.

“We had the stock on hand at Port Melbourne and, within five minutes we had identified what items the customer needed to fix the matter, had picked the products and had our Active delivery van heading towards the customer site.”

“It gives the team a great feeling to be able to step up and help our customers when they need us the most.”

Serving different segments, with a consistent approach

With eight branches across metro and regional areas, it’s little surprise that different locations attract a different customer base.

“Our work is more project-based in Port Melbourne and Moorabbin; Bendigo naturally attracts more mining-related jobs, while Ballarat is more industrial and agricultural. The regional stores are the more day-to-day type of work, but we always approach each day with the same philosophy,” says Lance.

“We have a real ‘no BS’ approach to business – if you’ve got a problem, we’ll fix it!”

Community is at the heart of the business too, which is a common but incredibly important attribute that often separates Gemcell electrical wholesalers from others.

“We want to see local businesses succeed, and we want to help the people that are local to our businesses, as well as our customers,” Lance says.

“We also want to see the communities we operate in succeed. For example, we recently sponsored a young person who went to Malaysia to represent the Australian Youth Team compete in 10-pin bowling – their parents shop with us, and it was something we were delighted to do.”

That community connection spreads even further. When ‘mum and dad’ customers come into the branches, the Active Electrical team are always quick to recommend a contractor customer who can help them install the products they’re interested in.

What’s next for Active Electrical?

Looking ahead, there’s plenty to look forward to at Active Electrical. Lance’s focus is on making the value proposition even stronger – with technology set to play a major role.

“The question is how we improve the customer experience to be the best it can be,” he says. “There are many aspects to this, so the challenge for us now is how we embrace technology while keeping our old-school values alive and well.”

“It provides a level of confidence to our customers that whatever they’re going to buy is going to work and going to maintain their reputation – it is critical for us, and our suppliers play a big role in our success.”

Of course, having quality products for contractors to purchase with confidence and certainty is key. “It’s imperative for our business to have that product quality assurance in place,” says Lance.

Despite the success over three decades, however, Lance feels the Active Electrical story is – to some extent – just getting started.

“I feel like we’re the best-kept secret in the market,” he says.

Given that, and with the business proactively planning to make the customer experience even better, it could be an exciting few years ahead for the team at Active Electrical.