Great aerial footage taken on May 23, 2023, of the construction site of our new warehouse facility in Stanley, WI! Once completed (which we anticipate will be in early 2024), the facility will provide RESCO with 40,000 square feet of inventory space—along with substantial outside fenced-in space—enabling us to better serve our members and customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. Sitting on 15-acres, the site also provides us with ample room to expand our operations, when needed. Thank you, Market & Johnson, Inc., for sharing the video!

To view the video, click here.

Middleton, WI – Rural Electric Supply Cooperative (RESCO), a member-owned, not-for-profit electrical wholesaler and one of the Midwest’s largest full-line distributors of high-voltage electrical products, officially broke ground on its new warehouse and offices in the town of Stanley, WI, on May 3.

Among those in attendance for the groundbreaking ceremony were: Matt Brandrup, RESCO president and CEO; Doug Booher, RESCO vice president of sales and manufacturer relations; RESCO account managers Dennis Gaffney and Adam Kuechle; Byron Nolde, RESCO Board member and CEO, Oconto Electric Cooperative; Roger Wiff, RESCO Board member and board member of Pierce-Pepin Cooperative Services; and Tim Stewart, CEO, and Mike Ruff, director of operations, Clark Electric Cooperative.

Situated on 15 acres, the 40,000-square-foot location reflects RESCO’s commitment to providing its electric utility members and customers with exceptional service and reliable inventory, as well as quick response to weather-related and storm damage needs. The large plot also gives the cooperative the ability to expand its operations as needed.

“We’re delighted to begin construction on our eighth warehouse site,” said Brandrup. “Ensuring reliable inventory and quick service to our members and customers is a pillar of our cooperative, and our Stanley site provides us with a very central location to better serve the needs of our electric cooperative members and utility customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.

“The amount of square footage—both indoor and outdoor—at the site will permit us to further expand our growing product inventory levels, enabling us to deliver the materials, supplies, and equipment that our members and customers need, when they need them.”

Other facility features include individual offices for future team members and a large training room that will double as space for RESCO member functions, training, events, and other uses.

Clark Electric Cooperative in Greenwood, WI, will be providing electrical utility service to the site.

“RESCO is proud to now be a member of Clark Electric,” added Brandrup.

Once operational, the facility will employ three warehouse/delivery professionals, with an additional two to three positions added over the coming couple of years.

RESCO anticipates that construction of the facility will be completed in early 2024.

TIMELAPSE VIDEO UPDATES

RESCO President and CEO Matt Brandrup was a recent guest on author Robert Bryce’s ‘Power Hungry’ podcast, where he shared his insights on industry topics such as the challenges of inflationary pressure and labor shortages; the impact of new regulatory guidelines and proposals; and the advantages of the RESCO co-op model. Conducted weekly, the podcast features top thinkers, writers, and influencers within the energy and power space.

Click here to view the podcast.

The impact of unstable supply chains and rising inflation over the past two years has affected the operations of RESCO and our members and customers. From long (and sometimes uncertain) lead times to higher pricing due to inflationary factors like increased pricing on raw materials, labor shortages, and transportation challenges, we’ve been weathering the storm while continuing to provide top-notch and reliable service and product inventory to utilities through the Upper Midwest.

While supply chain conditions and inflation have yet to return to “normal” conditions within the utility material sector, we are happy to report that we’re seeing positive improvement, both in terms of lead times and product pricing.

Here are a few updates we’re happy to share with you:

• Stabilizing manufacturer pricing. Over the past two years, we’ve experienced significant cost increases in the products we distribute, due to inflationary pressures. In 2021, the average inflation rate on all products we provide was approximately 14%; in 2022, that number rose to 18%. However, while prices continue to rise, we are now seeing a slow down on the velocity of price increase. And while it’s difficult to predict economic conditions for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, we expect the utility-product-cost inflation rate to moderate this year and fall back into the 4% to 8% range.

The operating budgets of our members and customers have always been a top priority for RESCO, and we will continue to work with our manufacturer partners to help deliver the most competitive pricing within the industry. RESCO’s not-for-profit cooperative business model helps us accomplish this!

• Continued growth of RESCO product inventory. As stated in previous posts, RESCO continues to focus on maintaining high inventory levels to ensure our members and customers have access to the products they need, when they need them. To that point, our record inventory levels continue to grow: as of this edition of Plugged in With RESCO, we’re currently maintaining $45 million in inventory housed in our seven warehouses.

And as our inventory continues to grow, so does our warehouses capacity. In addition to the opening of a new office and warehouse last spring in Elkhart, IA—which provides us with 30,000 square feet of indoor space and 35,000 square feet of outdoor space—we also expanded our storage capacities in Mt. Pleasant, MI, late last year, providing us with an additional 8,000 square feet of indoor storage. In 2023, we’ll be adding 15,000 square feet of indoor storage space at our Moorhead, MN, location, as well as breaking ground on a new 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Stanley, WI. (Located on 15 acres, the new Wisconsin facility will provide us with expansive outside storage as well, enabling us to deliver even more exceptional service to our members and customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and northern Michigan.)

With spring and summer utility projects and construction starting soon, our goal is to help ensure that you have the necessary materials, supplies, and equipment. Our Purchasing Department has been busy placing product orders to keep our inventory levels very robust for most items.

RESCO Expands Moorhead, MN Warehouse, Boosts Inventory Capacity

Moorhead, MN – Rural Electric Supply Cooperative (RESCO), a member-owned, not-for-profit electrical wholesaler and one of the Midwest’s largest full-line distributors of high-voltage electrical products, is pleased to announce an expansion of its supply warehouse in Moorhead, MN, a move that will enable it to better serve its electric cooperative members and utility customers throughout the state.

Scheduled for completion in November 2023, the expansion will provide an additional 15,000 square feet of storage space, allowing RESCO to house more material in a controlled environment, while at the same time improve overall operational productivity.

Once completed, the total storage space of the Moorhead warehouse will be almost 34,300 square feet.

“Having a reliable and dependable source of electrical supplies, materials, and equipment is a vital component of a utility’s operations,” says Matt Brandrup, president and CEO of RESCO. And while utilities can effectively plan out their annual supply needs, weather-related events can have an instant impact on their operations.

“The Moorhead warehouse expansion will enable us to increase our inventory capacity, so that our members and customers can quickly acquire the products they need, when they need them, whether for routine maintenance, planned projects, or unexpected occurrences.”

RESCO’s Moorhead warehouse has played a vital role in the distribution of high-voltage materials, supplies, and equipment to rural electric cooperatives, municipalities, and utility companies throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Mt. Pleasant, MI – Rural Electric Supply Cooperative (RESCO), a member-owned, not-for-profit electrical wholesaler and one of the Midwest’s largest full-line distributors of high-voltage electrical products, is pleased to announce an expansion of its supply warehouse in Mt. Pleasant, MI, a move that will enable it to better serve its electric cooperative members and utility customers throughout the state.

RESCO last month completed the expansion of the warehouse interior, which included the addition of approximately 4,500 square feet of storage space. The property’s exterior will also undergo an expansion this year, which will result in an additional 3,500 square feet.

Once completed, the expansion projects will provide RESCO with a total of 41,000 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor space.

“The need for quick and reliable access to electrical supplies is a year-round consideration for utility providers, whether for planned projects, routine maintenance, or unexpected weather occurrences,” says Matt Brandrup, president and CEO of RESCO. “These materials are essential for delivering power to the households, businesses, schools, and farms that depend on them to keep the power and the lights on.

“Expanding our warehouse space in Mt. Pleasant enables us to continue to grow and house our ever-increasing inventory, thereby ensuring our members and customers can get the materials they need, when they need them.”

Beginning operations in 1998, RESCO’s Mt. Pleasant warehouse plays a vital role in the distribution of high-voltage materials, supplies, and equipment to rural electric cooperatives, municipalities, and utility companies throughout Michigan.

Faced with continued long lead times and higher cost of supplies, equipment, and materials, utilities can lessen the impact of current supply chain disruptions by focusing on multi-year planning of projects and construction. RESCO is also helping members and customers combat these challenges by carrying $42 million in product inventory in its warehouses. President and CEO Matt Brandrup discussed this topic in a recent article published by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). To read the article, click here.