By Larry Kotars,
Regional Sales Manager, Huskie Tools, Inc.

(From an article that appeared in the October 2001 issue of Utility Products Showcase.)

The year is 2001 and we have blackouts, rolling timed blackouts and experts calculating we don't have enough electrical power to serve our country. The national grid management team is indicating 5,000 more transmission lines will be needed soon. Hotels in California are charging an extra per night fee called 'energy surcharge' to room bills to meet electrical cost. The next twenty years are uncertain and the electrical industry will become the spotlight in America for the first time in sixty years. Huskie Tools can't solve the big problems, but we can certainly help with the little ones.

Huskie Tools Inc., is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary with a clearly defined mission for the future of tools in the utility world. The mission is to continue providing the best tool products for today's lineman. When Huskie Tools began twenty-five years ago, the goal was simply: sell one cutter, and one crimper per week. Today, Huskie Tools sells hundreds per year.

During the past twenty-five years, times have changed and are not as simple as they once were for the utility companies. Who would have imagined the changes brought about by technology and deregulation? As few as ten years ago, there were 110 investor-owned utilities in the United States. Today, after the mergers, buy-outs, and partnerships, the number is below 75, and that number continues to shrink each year. Huskie Tools continues to enjoy a strong presence in the transmission and distribution market of all utilities in America, and feels that well designed, quality tools will continue to play a part in the effort to keep the lights on.

Huskie Tools focuses on using the latest tool design improvements and innovations, rather than promoting tools designed 40 years ago. Today's tools are designed for the multi-skilled power line technicians who recognize the benefits of cost savings, training time on new products, production and standardization of tools at a utility. With deregulation looming at all utilities, the bottom line is now more important than ever before. Huskie Tools has always followed the adage of 'work smarter, not harder', and the tools they produce, do just that. The Foreman that is reluctant to convert to new tools and techniques simply because, "this is how it has always been done", is not only a poor leader, but is also costing their utility in terms of time and production. The worst part is that, in these cases, the lineman who performs the actual work, (with outdated tools) is the one who suffers from increased work burden, and in some cases, even injuries.

Many of the 'what if' scenarios that utility company management worry about, could be eliminated by providing quality tools that will make the linemen's jobs not only easier, but safer and more productive. It is the utility companies' job to promote safety to it's employees every single day, and purchasing top quality tools must be included as part of these strategies.

Today's electrical systems are increasingly more complex. The rapid expansion of technology developments, within the industry, demands highly skilled and versatile employees. Their jobs are made more productive, and safer when they are supplied with the best tools available. Huskie Tools' mission is to provide the best tools for the best linemen in the world.