The Irwin name has been associated with the electrical wholesale industry for 40 years and when EWL Electric acquired the business in 2005 they continued to trade as Irwin. Fast forward 15 years and now we see EWL Electric over the door for the first time as they look forward to 2020 and their 15th year in Letterkenny. The last few years has seen EWL Electric grow into a national wholesaler allowing all of their account holders to collect goods from any of their locations. To continue to emphasise their “local wholesaler with a national presence” identity, the company felt it was time to change their name and look, to further strengthen their position.
The location has continued to be incredibly successful, with steady trade and a consistently expanding customer base. Their staff are very experienced and knowledgeable and focus on staff development will ensure the location continues to be the first stop for contractors across Donegal under their new branding. Following several busy weeks of redecoration and adjusting, the site’s new appearance was unveiled on November 2nd, including new signage and a new van design. EWL has previously hosted trade events, such as their October 2017 trade show at the Clanree Hotel in Letterkenny. Their aims for that event were to provide over 150 contractors with information on new products and services with live demonstrations and representatives from the RECI (Register of Electrical Contractors of Ireland), including Chief Inspector John Clare, in attendance. The event was well supported with a large number of customers, suppliers and other industry professionals in attendance on the day, with plenty of positive feedback afterwards.
The team at Letterkenny are proficient at organising successful events; how to bring in customers and leave them informed, content and keen to enquire in further business. Therefore, it seemed appropriate that in celebration of their rebrand to EWL Letterkenny, the team held a 5-day in-house supplier event, offering free breakfast vouchers for all account holders as well as the promotion of new products and fantastic prizes on offer.
Throughout the week, the sales counter was attended by well- known brands such as: Switch, Steinel, Ansell, Thorn, Aurora, DeWalt, CK Tools, ATC, Core, Dimplex, Garo and Ei Electronics. Each supplier was set up at the sales counter to promote the impressive range of products they supply to the store. The week culminated in a blow-out sale of their DeWalt tool offerings. All week entries were gathered for their, “15 years 15 prizes” draw which was really well received by visitors. EWL also opened their new coffee dock to offer complimentary refreshments for our customers when they visit the sales counter.
In attendance was the mayor of Letterkenny and Milford, councillor John O’Donnell. Writing about the event on his public Facebook page, the mayor said, “I was honored to be invited to the official rebrand week of EWL Electric in Letterkenny this week. It was great to meet this ambitious and enthusiastic team who service the entire county on a daily basis with their delivery system and also have external representatives who can visit you to assist in design and supply. Best of luck in the future!” With such esteemed individuals in attendance, alongside highly regarded brands, it is unsurprising that the event was a tremendous success.
EWL Ireland own 15 locations throughout Ireland, each carrying exhaustive stock and ran by friendly, experienced and highly motivated staff. The brand is committed to providing comprehensive, unrivalled service and quality for their customers. Letterkenny Manager, Jonny McKenna, has previously said, “Being a part of the EWL group gives us an enormous advantage over our competitors. It means we can service our clients’ contracts wherever they are and supply them with the highest quality products on the market.
It really is an excellent support network.” Following years of close collaboration, mutual support and a relationship which has proven fruitful, it was foreseeable that Irwin’s would evolve into an EWL branded site.
The first sponsorship opportunity came quickly after the rebrand. EWL Electric was proudly on display at Derry based Top Ring Gym’s ‘Rumble at the Dell’ boxing event. EWL Letterkenny has made an explosive debut into the Irish Electrical Wholesalers industry, and a lot of effort has been made to ensure the rebrand was a success. Making changes to a well-established brand can be daunting, however with effective communication and a warm welcome to both old and new customers, EWL Letterkenny have handled the adjustment period with forethought and enthusiasm. The future of the location looks bright as the business enters the decade with a new name, but the same focus and drive to continue providing the same excellent service their customers have come to value.
T: +353 (0)74 912 4240
E: Letterkenny.717@ewl.ie
W: www.ewl.ie
