2007 marked a year of extraordinary change in our industry with housing starts declining to a 15 year low of 1.2 million units, a wild ride in the copper market, and a record number of private label electrical products manufactured by third party companies entering the market.

The good news for 2008 is that if single family housing is excluded from the latest McGraw-Hill 2008 construction forecast, construction activity will be up an estimated 3%. This growth will be mainly in construction of shopping centers, office buildings, hotels and health care facilities. Construction of educational buildings and manufacturing will see a robust growth in 2008 of 5%.

At Electrical Marketplace we have tailored our product mix to meet the demands of this changing market by expanding our inventory of commercially oriented products like Exit and Emergency lighting, Fluorescent High Bay lights, and commercial occupancy sensors to name a few. With over 25 years of combined experience in the lighting industry and access to some of the most recognized brands in the industry, the Electrical Marketplace staff can provide you with the right lighting package for your next project.

2007 was also a year that saw increased demand for Green Building products like energy efficient lamps, ballasts, lighting controls, fixtures and dimming products. New government legislation and utility rebates offer building owners financial incentives for the design of energy efficient buildings. Electrical Marketplace is equipped to help your company present a custom lighting energy analysis for your customers that calculate lighting and HVAC savings using the latest lighting technologies.

As always our commitment is to provide products of the highest quality at competitive prices. Our continued growth, success and customer satisfaction are proof that we are accomplishing these goals.

We want to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous 2008!