The Kele Companies goes the extra mile to support its customers’ transition towards a more sustainable future  

Comprised of a group of distributors and comprehensive solution providers, The Kele Companies (Kele) has grown to be synonymous with supply chain excellence across the Building Automation Systems (BAS) sector. Founded in 1983 by Roger Johnson and Ronnie Randall in Memphis, Tennessee, The Kele Companies is a leader in the BAS and HVAC/R industry with a presence across the United States. Through a series of strategic acquisitions and an extensive scope of capabilities, the company has secured its market position as a trusted partner for industry-leading OEMs, contractors and system integrators. From day one, its mission has been to “connect people and products in an innovative and environmentally friendly way to enable customers to build a safe, clean, comfortable, and sustainable world” and, as the sector’s largest distributor, it’s safe to say that Kele has succeeded in executing its vision. 

Today, Kele’s ever-expansive portfolio provides industry professionals with top quality parts and components. The company stocks over three million products

from hundreds of manufacturers, including sensors, peripherals, valves, automation controls, and interface devices, among others. However, what really sets Kele apart in this competitive market is its passion for providing value-added services and its unwavering dedication to client care. Whether it’s custom panel design and assembly, tailored technical support or hardware development, the company is constantly innovating and evolving its capabilities and operations to best support its clients, transforming ordinary transactions into long lasting partnerships. 

Efficient and reliable supply chain 

Organic growth via acquisition has been an integral part of Kele’s journey. Since its founding, the company has acquired six businesses to strengthen its portfolio: Control Consultants, Inc (CCI), MIControls, Inc, Temperature Control Systems (TCS), Lesman Instrument Co., A-tech Inc, and, most recently, AC Controls in 2024. Jonathan Collins, Chief Marketing Officer, elaborates on how the acquisition of AC Controls has allowed the company to further expand its offering and capabilities. 

“We viewed the acquisition of AC Controls as a unique opportunity to enhance Kele’s expertise in industrial automation and instrumentation whilst simultaneously strengthening our presence in the Southeastern portion of the States,” Jonathan explains. “This strategic move allowed us to broaden our product range. We now offer industry-leading brands such as Bray, KROHNE, Chemelex, Honeywell, and Samson. An enhanced portfolio helps us to better serve a broader range of product requirements for our customers. We’re not content to just be a product seller; we’re quickly moving beyond simple product distribution to becoming a true partner in helping our customers solve their most complex challenges within the building automation and industrial automation spaces.   

“At Kele, culture is a cornerstone of our M&A strategy. We seek acquisitions that align with our customer-centric values and service-driven approach, highly valuing companies that look to develop relationships beyond a transaction. Going forward, we remain open to strategic opportunities to add great people and teams, as well as product and service offerings that are complementary to our own.” 

As part of this approach, Kele is constantly investing in new innovations to further enhance the quality of the services it provides to its customers. Prioritizing efficiency and functionality, the company has been focusing recent investments on augmenting and simplifying its digital processes, with an emphasis on improving its e-commerce and e-procurement operations, as well as its digital marketing strategy. 

“Kele is in the midst of a digital transformation centered on enhancing the customer experience through friendly and efficient online solutions. Our website enhancements – including advanced onsite search functionality and a streamlined ordering process – make it easier for customers to find and purchase products seamlessly. Additionally, our strategic digital marketing investments help bring new customers to our brand, while driving lead generation and customer engagement,” Jonathan reveals. “We also know that e-procurement solutions are only becoming more popular with time, so we have decided to embrace this change. We have made it a key priority to support large customers in integrating their purchasing processes within their existing systems. This initiative simplifies supply chain management and allows our customers to get what they need delivered to their front door faster than ever. 

“These recent investments in the business have enhanced order fulfillment speed and accuracy, ensuring a more efficient and reliable supply chain. Additionally, we are actively exploring sustainable product lines and increasing our support for data center infrastructure to align with the growing demand for energy-efficient solutions.” 

One-stop shop 

Sustainability is a key element of Kele’s approach, and the company is constantly researching the best sustainable practices for its customers. The demand for sustainable solutions is rising, so Kele works alongside its clients to minimize carbon footprint and resource consumption. 

“Kele supports greener projects by encouraging the use of energy-efficient sensors, low-power actuators, and environmentally friendly control systems,” Jonathan continues. “Additionally, we work closely with manufacturers to source products that meet green building certifications and sustainability standards. Commercial buildings are responsible for 47 percent of global energy consumption, so our commercial automation customers are increasingly focused on building green buildings and leverage Kele for the components and knowledge needed to do so. We also help our data center customers who are changing their design type to save millions of gallons of water. Kele acts as a one-stop shop that enables customers to reduce their carbon footprint by consolidating purchases – saving an estimated 100,000 cardboard boxes per year.  

“The growing demand for energy-efficient and resilient data center infrastructure presents significant opportunities. We are expanding our product offerings in power monitoring, environmental controls, and smart automation solutions tailored to data centers. Our strategy focuses on providing high-quality, readily available solutions that enhance operational efficiency and reliability.” 

One quality in particular, however, that gives Kele the competitive edge is its commitment to superior supply chain management. The care the company gives its customers is extended to its supplier relationships, and Kele goes above and beyond to spotlight the excellence within this field. 

“We maintain strong supplier relationships through rigorous quality control, ongoing performance evaluations, and collaborative initiatives. The Supplier of the Year Award, now an annual program, recognizes partners who excel in product quality, service reliability, and innovation,” Jonathan says. “Functional Devices was selected as the first recipient for their outstanding product performance, supply chain efficiency, and customer service excellence. Mark Fernandes, President and CEO of Functional Devices, and his team have been eager collaborators who have consistently demonstrated that the customer is at the heart of what they do, their commitment to partnership and quality makes them an invaluable partner and deserving of this award.” 

Smarter, more sustainable systems 

Looking to the future, Kele will be prioritizing growth in new, emerging markets, placing a strategic focus on data centers in particular. As the wider industry changes over the course of the next few years, Kele is dedicated to innovating and investing in the best strategies to secure a stable, sustainable future for all its customers. Concluding our interview, it’s clear to see that Kele is well-positioned to continue its legacy as the partner of choice across the BAS sector. As our conversation draws to a close, Jonathan hones in on Kele’s mission as it continues to support its customers everywhere. 

“At Kele, our mission remains clear: to simplify building automation by providing unmatched product selection, expert support, and efficient solutions. Kele has a longstanding reputation for its service-oriented culture both internally and externally, serving as the keystone that supports its customers’ businesses.
At Kele, we are excited about the road ahead and look forward to helping our customers build  smarter, more sustainable systems.”  

www.kele.com