UCEC Vendor Spotlight: Meet Beyond Components
By Mark Inboden
While many of UCEC’s vendors and partners go “way back” years and even decades, our relationship with Beyond Components is just a few years old. But I have a good feeling we’ll be talking about working with the company for many years to come.
Chris Allsup
Based out of Westford, MA, with 19 warehouses across the nation, Beyond Components is a national distributor of electronics and electromechanical products. They carry 150 factory-authorized product lines from a lineup of brand name manufacturers including IDEC, Entrelec, Harting, Aimtec, Baco, Conta Clip, Marathon, E-Switch, Sunon and more.
Founder Lou Dinkel started Beyond Components in 1987. Account Manager Chris Allsup tells us the company’s credo is something you don’t see every day.
“In nearly 30 years, we’ve never had a layoff,” Chris tells us. “We try to keep people until retirement. Fifty percent of our managers are women. It’s a unique company with humble leaders.”
Chris says it’s his job to make UCEC’s job easier. So, he has spent time trying to get to know us and our business needs. One day, he might strive to find a part to fit a certain budget, or help us discover new products. Chris is in frequent contact with UCEC’s staff.
Beyond Component’s closest warehouse to us is in Louisville, CO, so Chris is able to help reduce lead times, which is important in this business. He’s also able to tell us if a part will be delayed.
“I just always try to do the right thing. I want to help UCEC get that problem taken care of and get their panel to the customer,” Chris says.
It turns out that UCEC was one of Chris’s first sales calls and accounts when he left for-profit education and started his career at Beyond Components. “UCEC takes good care of their people; you can tell they are happy to be there,” he notes.
We’re happy Beyond Components is with us, too.
Mark Inboden is CEO and President of UCEC.