Scattergood & Johnson Ltd have been operating as electrical distributors for over a century, since 1899 to be precise. The business first started in Leeds and has since been expanded to Gateshead, Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield and Walsall, but our head office is still in Leeds. Scattergood & Johnson are known for their excellent level of service, support and customer satisfaction in the electrical engineering distribution industry. I mainly work out of the office in Trafford, Manchester.
When did you become a Hubbell distributor?
I’ve been working with Hubbell/Hawke for around 18 years, I have a great relationship to with the company and I think it’s safe to say we enjoy working together.
Could you give us a brief summary your background?
I started off in the industrial side of the industry. The main areas that I was involved in included HTE certifying and specifying junction boxes. I worked on the industrial side for about 15 years and in the harsh and hazardous area for a further 18 years. So after over 30 years I have a lot of experience in this part of the industry. I moved in to the harsh and hazardous area full time working most closely with lighting.
How have you found working with Hubbell?
I think it’s been fantastic. I’ve always found Hubbell an enjoyable and interesting company to work with. I think Hubbell has a very dynamic team that works very well together – team work is something that has always been a feature of Hubbell companies. It’s always been exciting to be a part of that! Another great aspect of Hubbell is that they’re consistently releasing exciting new products; they are a very innovative and forward thinking company.
What’s your favourite Hubbell product and why?
A like the PL Range of junction boxes, they have great GRP strength and are solid, robust boxes which last. It goes hand in hand with the Hawke Universal Cable Gland which allows for very quick termination. Clients absolutely love it. Hawke sells itself. The fact that Hawke is also part of the Hubbell family means that I can offer my customers everything in one place, they think it’s fantastic!
What do you think is currently one of your biggest challenges in the industry?
Clients are often driven by what they have always traditionally used and can be reluctant to change. One challenge I have is to change the perception that traditional products are the best and to show customers the benefits of new products. Part of my job is to change mind-sets. The innovative, sloped face design of the EA Enclosure is so different to what’s already out there that was a slight push back. Once customers realised that it was a great innovative improvement on the traditional style they were very open to the new design.
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?
I have seen a lot of change during my time in the industry. There has been a lot of diversification as businesses have had to adapt to the fluctuations in the Oil and Gas industry so I’ve seen a broader range of products from companies. One massive change I’ve noticed has been in lighting. The switch to LED has revolutionised the industry and changed products completely. The number of LED lighting solutions being used in the industry is always increasing as they are so much more energy efficient and are a great light source.
Why are Hubbell H&H one of the top companies you work with?
The customer service and technical support from Hawke is exceptional. They are very reactive to any problems or needs a customer may have. If I ever need something quickly they’ll do it with no problems. Hawke are always there to help the customer – Eddie and the service engineers are also excellent, they’ll drop everything and travel half way across the world to support our customers.
