11.08 - 11.15
Heading home
What an unforgettable experience! The #PowerBetter Roadshow, fall tour of the east, has officially ended. This final leg of the tour included stops in New Orleans, West Monroe, Memphis, and a stop in Baton Rouge, which surpassed the record for most customers in a day.
Comparing the first few stops on the tour to the last few, I went from listening to our application engineers lead tours to leading them myself. I gained insight on the intricacies of commercial and industrial projects by listening to account managers interact with their distributors and contractors.
My understanding of the customer’spoint of view grew tremendously. Knowing where engineers,distributors, contractors, and endusers find value, and understandingtheir pain points, is something that I will hold with me as I grow through my roles in ABB’s LEAD Program.
Some of the most rewarding experiences were seeing the customers’ interaction with our products. The interactive nature of the trailer was something that allowed customers to be immersed in the ABB EL product portfolio and develop a first-hand understanding of the functionality of each product.
This project is far from a one-person show, and recognition is due to Kate Johnston, Al Colquitt, and the entire ABB Customer Experience team. Their guidance and continued support certainly made the roadshow a major success.The #PowerBetter Roadshow will return in 2022 with another tour of the western US in the spring and the east in the fall. If you missed the tour this season, contact your local ABB account manager, and they will help coordinate a visit on next year’s tour.
11.01 - 11.05
Hello from Atlanta!
I can’t believe that we only have one week left of the #PowerBetter Roadshow. Thank you for following along on my journey across the East Coast. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many customers and colleagues. During one of our Atlanta stops, I even met a fellow University of Florida alum, which is always exciting.
I’ve tried to provide a glimpse into the ABB products that we have on display in the truck. One that I haven’t had a chance to highlight yet is the ABB Safety Switch with Extra-Large Viewing Window, which was recently recognized by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) during its annual conference in Nashville.
Our Safety Switch took home a blue ribbon at NECA’s Showstopper Awards —honoring the industry’s most impactful new product innovations — for its ability to help contractors stay safe and save time. The new product currently has the largest window on the market, further enhancing safety. For example, customers can visually verify open contacts without the need to open the door to check blades and fuses.
10.25 - 10.29
Hello from my home state of Florida!
There are many reasons why I’ve been looking forward to this leg of the #PowerBetter Roadshow. For example, before I was in ABB’s LEAD Commercial Sales Program, I was a Sales Engineering Intern in Florida for the company from May to December 2020. Given that this internship was remote, I was finally able to meet some of the people I had spent my time with over those few months. Some other highlights of my time in Jacksonville stop right in front of a professional football stadium, meeting with a number of consulting engineers – as well as the founder of a large electrical and contracting company that does a lot of work in Florida and the Southeast – and visiting ABB’s office in Doral.
We also received a lot of positive feedback around a particular feature in the truck – a touchscreen that allows customers to view the entire ABB product portfolio and its applications across multiple industry landscapes, whether that is e-mobility, data centers, or food/beverage. It’s been a really helpful tool while giving tours, and I’m glad it provides customers with a comprehensive overview of our offerings. Check it out online!
10.15 - 10.22
Gone to Carolina...
I can’t believe we only have a couple of weeks left of the #PowerBetter Roadshow. It’s an experience that I’ll never forget, and I’ve learned so much along the way.
During our most recent leg in the Carolinas, we had a stop in Raleigh, NC, which is very close to ABB’s U.S. headquarters in Cary. Several Cary employees came to visit the truck and see what all had been displayed at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) conference the week before.
Speaking of NECA, coming off of the event, we have had several customers inquire about the PowerMark™ PRO load centers, a next-generation residential offering coming in early 2022 that was previewed at the conference. This solution was designed with contractors in mind to make installation a little bit more flexible and easier no matter the job. For more information, you can visit the link HERE or check out the below video.
10.05 - 10.13
Greetings from Nashville
Greetings from NashvilleWe just wrapped up the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) conference, where ABB showcased the latest in smart power distribution designed to help electrical contractors be more productive and profitable.
My role for the event was to help oversee operations of the #PowerBetter Roadshow trailer, which featured the complete best of both integrated ABB one-line from source to socket portfolio. Additional products were brought to Nashville to complement the trailer with our full booth set-up, such as ABB’s newly launched emergency lighting product, Nexus® Pro.
Since NECA was my first official tradeshow with ABB, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I enjoyed the extended amount of time in Nashville speaking with customers and meeting colleagues.
One of my favorite moments from NECA was when trade media outlet EC&M Magazine officially recognized the Tmax XT7 circuit breaker with the silver medal in its 2021 Product of the Year competition. We have been showcasing the full Tmax XT circuit breaker family on the #PowerBetter Roadshow – integrated throughout the all-new ReliaGear™ portfolio of smart power distribution products – so it was great to see the Tmax XT7 recognized by the industry for its innovative design and reliability, as well as simplified installation and commissioning.
09.27 - 10.01
Notes from our Capitol area stops
There are many who make the#PowerBetter Roadshow possiblebehind the scenes. Today, Iwanted to highlight one of those people.
Daryl Saunders is our fearlesslogistics leader, driving the truckfrom one stop to the next and helping us with the set-up/tear-down of eachevent. Driving has always been inDaryl’s DNA – he’s driven trucks forover 40 years, including a long stint assisting professional race cardrivers. He is a key element to ensuring all of our operations run smoothly. When I arrive first thing in the morning at the event site, Daryl is always one step ahead, having already started setting up and making sure everything is positioned perfectly.
To ensure safety along with COVID-19 protocols, masks and hand sanitizing stations continue to be a key part of our set-up process. In addition, we adhere to capacity limits with the events themselves, as well as guest pre-registration and social distancing.
Coming up we have perhaps our biggest logistics challenge to date at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) conference in Nashville, TN, Oct. 9-12, where we will be bringing the #PowerBetter Roadshow trailer onto the show floor at the Music City Convention Center. This will be another great opportunity to see ABB’s latest electrical products and solutions, and I am excited to share our experiences at NECA (with lots of pictures!) in the next blog post.
09.13 - 09.24
Hello from the Northeast!
A lot of people have been asking me what my favorite parts of the#PowerBetter Roadshow have been now that we’re almost one month in. I have certainly enjoyed the opportunity to directly engage with ABB customers, as well as my East Coast colleagues – many of whom I am meeting in person for the very first time. It’s also been quite exciting traveling from one place to another. As someone who has spent most of their life in Florida, I am visiting new towns and cities with the show that I never thought I would go to.
During a recent weekend in between stops, for example, I was able to spend a few hours at Niagara Falls, which is home to Maid of the Mist, the first all-electric ferry in the U.S. powered by ABB. When most people talk about electrification they tend to only mention cars, but it’s so much more than that. As a leader in e-mobility for over a decade, ABB has been furthering the electrification of transport through ships, ferries, heavy-duty trucks and more. It was really cool to see another ABB product in action –especially one that we cannot necessarily display in a truck.
I’m a foodie, so I must also mention that I could not come to New York without eating at the Anchor Bar, the birthplace of the Buffalo chicken wing. As the show continues to move down the East Coast, I know I’ll have even more people to meet and places to explore, in addition to things to eat.
09.01 - 09.10
Hello from Pennsylvania and Ohio!
There’s nothing quite like seeing an ABB product in person. That’s why I’m so excited to have officially kicked off the East Coast #PowerBetter roadshow, which brings expertise and products directly to our customers. The first leg took us to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as Mayfield, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. In total, we were joined by 255 customers giving them a unique opportunity to view our products and ask questions in a safe environment, adhering to capacity limits and COVID-19 protocols.
One thing that kept standing out in my conversations with customers was the ReliaGear™ neXT Power Panels, specifically its modularity. Featuring a field-modifiable design and ABB’s groundbreaking Tmax® XT circuit breakers, these panels not only simplify installation and servicing, but also enhance energy efficiency. This is of course just one of the several ABB products that we have on display as we showcase the complete ABB one-line from source to socket.
With one leg down and many to go, we’re off to a great start. I’m really looking forward to meeting even more of our customers and learning about how ABB can help them overcome the challenges they face in the field. For our next stops, consider joining us if you’re in the Long Island or Edison NJ area.
09.01
On the road with the #PowerBetter Roadshow
I’ve always been interested in how things work – I enjoy rolling up my sleeves and being hands-on. For example, when I received a toy as a child, the first thing I’d do is turn it over and begin taking it apart. That interest has continued into my adult life, as one of my favorite hobbies is working on my 1998 Jeep Wrangler. That’s why I studied mechanical engineering at the University of Florida in Gainesville (Go Gators!). It’s also the main reason why I chose to work at ABB, where I’m in my first rotation in the LEAD Commercial Sales Program. I was ecstatic when I found out that one of my first assignments with ABB would be as the Project Manager for the #PowerBetter Roadshow U.S. Fall Tour 2021.
The #PowerBetter Roadshow is a traveling trade show in a 550 sq. ft. trailer that brings the complete ABB one-line from source to socket to our customers, and features the all-new ReliaGear™ family portfolio. I’ll be alongside ABB sales and field application engineering teams providing customers and suppliers a hands-on interactive experience with this line-up of ABB products, using our latest technology and highlighting our electrical products, services and solutions. The show adheres to capacity limits to ensure safety along with Covid-19 protocols, including guest pre-registration and social distancing.
I’ll be at every show, coordinating some 40 events from now through November 15 as we travel to 33 cities in the eastern U.S. I’ll be writing about my experiences each week, so you can keep up with what’s happening on each leg of the tour.
