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77 B U S I N E S S P RO F I L E S B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E S S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N Andrews was a longtime volunteer and leader of the Junior Achievement youth program in Maine, as well as frequent local United Way campaigns. Harrington became an active supporter too — just one of the many Horizon Solutions employees who today donate their time and resources to these organizations and other charitable and civic causes. Horizon Solutions and its employees have worked with the United Way for decades, and in 2017 alone raised over $59,000 for local community needs. As part of this work, the company sponsors a wide variety of fundraising events, from raffles to lunches to an annual cribbage tournament. Horizon Solutions staff also regularly collect donations to support local food pan- tries and school programs. To support veterans through the Wounded Warrior Project, some Horizon Solutions employees run in Tough Mudder events, notoriously grueling races on 10- to 12-mile obstacle courses designed by the British Special Forces. In 2017, the Scarborough branch received the United We rive Community GIVE Award in the small organization category. In 2016, Horizon Solutions was hon- ored for its community service by Affiliated Distributors, a national industry coalition, with its Giving Back Award. But Harrington explains the company's generos- ity in modest terms. "Giving to our communities is simply part of the Horizon Solutions DNA, and always has been," he says. Whether they're helping a non- profit in need or a customer with a complex engineering challenge, the Horizon Solutions team relies on deep local roots and knowledge. "Our Bangor team understands the local needs in the Bangor area, and the Scarborough team knows what customers in southern Maine are looking for," Harrington says. Each branch is empowered to do what's necessary to meet the unique demands of its market. In fact, he says, the company is reluctant to refer to its Rochester headquarters by that term, because "headquarters" is in the field. "e company arms its employees with the tools they need to understand customer applications and apply current technology to solve problems — and then gets out of the way, letting them do what they do best," Harrington says. Efficiency and innovation Still, Horizon Solutions is one of the country's 100 largest electri- cal distributors, according to a recent industry publication. And sometimes size matters. For customers, it means buying power, greater efficiency and economies of scale. It also means Horizon Solutions can draw on a vast range of expertise to meet customer needs — and with an average employee tenure of nearly 14 years, longstanding industry knowledge is the company's secret weapon. e collective strength of the family businesses has sparked innovations over the years. Horizon Solutions was the first dis- tributor in Maine to offer customers the ability to order and man- age inventory through electronic data interchange, known today as EDI. e company set another state first when it introduced vendor-managed inventory, or VMI, a supply-chain process in which Horizon Solutions orders and maintains product stock at a job site, while the customer is freed from this day-to-day responsibility. In some cases, a Horizon Solutions employee is embedded at the site. Horizon Solutions is also the exclusive authorized Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley distributor in Maine. e com- pany provides a broad range of the world's most requested brands, including products or services for: • Industrial automation • Industrial supplies and equipment • Electrical MRO (for industrial applications) • Electrical contractors • Energy • Workplace safety Regardless of the product, service or how it's ordered, Horizon Solutions' centrally located CDC and four "will call" contractor counters make the company skilled at getting supplies where they're needed. In fact, Horizon Solutions offers next-day delivery for most products, and operates a 24/7 hotline to help with urgent needs at any time of the day or night. ("We've been known to make deliveries at 3 a.m. when there's an emergency," Harrington says.) is type of service has become more critical, as many industries face new and ever-increasing pressures. To speed production. To demonstrate greater return on investment. To meet stricter requirements of safety, environ- mental and regulatory agencies. Matt Anderson, regional sales manager in Scarborough, believes Horizon Solutions is up to chal- lenges like these because "we're not just a distributor, we're a trusted partner." "We understand our customers, we learn their business inside and out. So, we're able to supply the solutions that make the most sense for them. at's why Horizon Solutions has been around for such a long time, and why we're going to be around for a long time to come." l P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F H O R I Z O N S O L U T I O N S Horizon Solutions LLC 32 Haigis Parkway, Scarborough, ME 04074 1114 Hammond Street, Bangor, ME 04401 Electrical and Industrial Solutions John Kerkhove, CEO & President Founded: 1857 Maine employees: 41 (214 total across New England and New York) www.hs-e.com " e company arms its employees with the tools they need to understand customer applications and apply current technology to solve problems — and then gets out of the way, letting them do what they do best. " — Don Harrington Horizon Solutions Vice President Horizon Solutions' four "will call" counters serve contractors in Bangor and Portland, as well as Elmira and Rochester, in New York.