On the road with WA electrical wholesaler Myelec

Starting with one branch in 2006, electrical wholesaler Myelec now has 9 across WA – serving a wide variety of customer bases. Here’s the inside story.

If you’re in Western Australia, you’re sure to have seen Myelec-branded utes or trucks at any time of the day and night getting products to customers who urgently need them.

After all, for independent electrical wholesalers like Myelec, which has nine branches across the state, it’s the little things that make a big, big difference when it comes to service.

“Ultimately, we’re operating in the same market as the multinationals, selling similar products, so we need to compete on service, flexibility and relationships,” says General Manager Brad Rzemek, who joined the business in 2021.

And literally going that extra mile for a customer happens on a daily basis – with Myelec committed to getting products to customers when they need them.

“For example, we deal with mining shutdowns, and while we pre-plan as much as we can for that, we need to be on call if something goes wrong.

“We have a 24-hour call-out service available from all our branches, and whatever time of day, we’ll go into the branch, get the item they need and get it on a plane or to wherever it needs to be on site so it doesn’t affect the shutdown.

How electrical wholesaler Myelec serves different types of contractors

The Myelec story began back in 2006, when Peter Eiffe launched the business out of the first branch in Canning Vale. Today the business still remains in 100% Western Australian owned.  And while their dedication to service and relationships remains consistent across each branch, the customers they serve are unique.

“Each branch has a different type of customer base,” explains Brad.

“For example, the Cockburn branch not only supplies businesses in the local area – but also serves clients in the northwest, through Karratha and Port Hedland [more than 1000km away], Midland has a predominantly mining and rural customer base, while the likes of our Joondalup and Osborne Park branches serve more local commercial and residential contractors.”

With a number of foreign-owned competitors, the fact that Myelec is locally owned and operated plays a big role in the value proposition, with contractors having an allegiance to businesses with shared values.

“We do push that side of things, as it enables money to stay in WA,” says Brad. “It goes back into buying our premises, investing in the marketplace and our communities and providing employment for 56 people locally.”

That doesn’t mean to say Myelec’s resting on its laurels, however – it’s a business that’s continually evolving and exploring new opportunities, particularly in the renewables market. Indeed, the Canning Vale Renewables branch is dedicated to solar and storage solutions and has even had a makeover, with the familiar Myelec blue being replaced by Myelec green.

“With battery storage, solar, and the ESG targets everyone has to meet, it’s an arena we are focused on pushing into,” explains Brad.

How Myelec gives back to the community

Unsurprisingly, given Myelec’s focus on relationships, it supports a number of client and customer charity events throughout the year, as well as the obligatory sponsorship of local sports teams. “Our big event is the Beanie to Black Tie Ball in conjunction with one of our customers, Ventia, which raises money for Vinnie’s as part of the CEO Sleepout,” says Brad.

“We are heavily involved in Purple Bra Day, an electrical industry fundraiser, that is the second biggest fundraising event for Breast Cancer Care WA.

“We also support the Ride for Research to help cure cancer, sponsoring our customers who take part in that, and we sponsor one of our contractors who competes in the Variety WA club rally.

Having grown from one branch in 2006 to nine in 2024, organic growth is clearly the approach, and Brad says it’s all about the right people.

“Growth is a focus, and that can be increasing the size of an existing branch or opening a new one – but ultimately, it’s all about the people and the relationships.

“The key these days isn’t really the location, it’s the people, the service and the relationships they have.”