6 MAY 2021Prime was founded in 1985 in Los Angeles, originally manufacturing extension cords and accessories for the Industrial/Commercial distribution channel. They soon migrated to Consumer/Retail and began a rapid growth curve that required a major investment in resources. One of their primary manufacturing partners, YFC-BonEagle, purchased Prime in 2006, making that next growth spurt possible. Since its beginnings, Prime has adopted a “problem-solving” approach to new product development. “The two extension cord products you’ve identified were the result of listening to our customers and end users,” says Jeff Millar-Sax, Vice President at Prime. “The NeonFlex® cords addressed a need from professionals on the job sites who were getting their cords taken by other tradespeople on the site because everyone had orange or yellow cords. These hi-visibility cords addressed that concern, as did our in-house custom-print program that enables contractors to buy small production runs of cords with their name, website, and phone number imprinted on them.” “Prior to our custom-print program, manufacturers were requiring large minimum quantities for custom printing. We found a better way by testing and implementing digital printers instead of the old way of tooling custom print wheels for each custom job and doing the printing during the wire extrusion,” adds Millar-Sax. “Bulldog Tough® cords addressed another need from both professionals and DIY’ers who wanted an oil-resistant, extreme temperature-rated extension cord but didn’t want to pay for more expensive rubber or TPE products.” Although the vast majority of PRIME’s innovations and product improvements have been with line voltage products, they have also carried that philosophy to their Structured Cable Division with products like their patented Navi-Lite® patch panels that help installers and repair technicians easily and quickly trace connections from the patch panel to the specific RJ45 receptacle down the line. It saves time and money when installing a new internal network and down the road when doing maintenance. “We have also done things on the back-end of manufacturing that go unnoticed to the naked eye. For example, at our own factories we formulate our own compounds, so we have more control over issues such as passing UL flame tests and making a safer product for riser and plenum cables,” explains Millar-Sax. “Quality is always our primary focus because it doesn’t matter how cool a product is if it’s not safe and doesn’t perform as needed.” Because they were already providing structured cabling solutions for use in traditional data centers and server rooms, as 5G and the Distributed Cloud/Edge computing models started to develop, PRIME saw an opportunity to contribute. Hence the development of their new Modular Data Center program. “This too came from listening to our customers and the inevitable need driven by these emerging technologies,” says Millar-Sax. “ PRIME’S PRIORITY IS ALWAYS TAKING CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS’ (AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE END USERS) NEEDS. WE ARE IN AN EXCITING TIME RIGHT NOW – ON THE CUTTING EDGE WITH OUR SOLUTION ”
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